NATO Appoints Burcu San as Acting Assistant Secretary General for Operations (nato.int)

• Oversees NATO's military missions and operations
• Leads security assistance to Ukraine and Defence Capacity Building
• Over 30 years of experience, previously held senior NATO roles

"Burcu San has been appointed Acting Assistant Secretary General for Operations at NATO, effective 1 February 2026. She provides political oversight of NATO's military missions and operations, defense plans, crisis response, counter-terrorism, and security assistance to Ukraine, including the PURL programme, and Defence Capacity Building programmes. With over 30 years of experience in security and defense, San previously served in various senior roles at NATO, the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament. She holds degrees from METU, SAIS Johns Hopkins, and the Catholic University of Leuven."