Trump Interacts with Erdoğan Ahead of NATO Summit in Ankara

ANKARA: (Web Desk) – U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to attend the NATO summit, where he held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on bilateral ties, defence cooperation and regional issues.

President Erdoğan welcomed Trump upon his arrival before the two leaders met at the Presidential Complex for high-level discussions.

Trump’s visit comes amid growing expectations that Türkiye could make progress toward rejoining the F-35 fighter jet programme. The U.S. president recently suggested that his administration was open to helping facilitate Türkiye’s return to the programme.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Trump described President Erdoğan as “a very good friend” and praised the strong relationship between the United States and Türkiye.

He said the two leaders discussed expanding trade relations and confirmed that Washington was considering allowing Türkiye to purchase F-35 fighter jets, noting that many believe the country should be readmitted to the programme.

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Commenting on NATO, Trump said the alliance had previously been “very disappointing” and reiterated that the United States had invested billions of dollars in Europe’s security. He added that Türkiye’s role as summit host and Erdoğan’s leadership were among the reasons he chose to attend the gathering.

President Erdoğan said discussions on the F-35 programme were not new, recalling that Türkiye had long engaged with the United States on the issue.

He expressed hope that the NATO summit would produce a positive outcome regarding Türkiye’s participation in the fighter jet programme, adding that Ankara had previously been promised five F-35 aircraft.

The Turkish president also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to supporting peace efforts in the region and expressing optimism that the summit would contribute to constructive dialogue on regional challenges.

Responding to a question about U.S.-Iran relations, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue working with international partners to encourage dialogue between Washington and Tehran and support broader efforts aimed at strengthening global peace.