On 17th January 2012, the ELN and the International Strategic Research Organisation (USAK) hosted a joint seminar in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss nuclear policy issues, focusing on NATO.

The seminar was structured as two part discussion, with the first session on “Perspectives on NATO Deterrence and Defence Posture” and the second session examining “Opportunities and Challenges in NATO–Russia relations”. Turkish political figures, such as former Minister of Defence, Vecdi Gönül, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hikmet Çetin, participated in the discussions.

The ELN delegation consisted of:

1. Lord David Owen (former British Foreign Secretary);
2. Giorgio La Malfa (former European Affairs Minister of Italy);
3. Lord Des Browne (former UK Secretary of State for Defence).
4. Prof. Malcolm Chalmers (Director of Research and Director, UK Defence Policy at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI)
5. Prof. Vladimir Baranovsky (Deputy director of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO)
6. Stela Petrova (Consultant Policy Analyst for the ELN)