Trump, Erdoğan pledge stronger US-Türkiye ties ahead of NATO summit

ANKARA: United States President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday pledged to strengthen bilateral ties as they held talks in Ankara ahead of a key NATO summit, with discussions focusing on trade, defence cooperation, Iran and regional security.

Thanking Erdoğan for the warm welcome, Trump said it was an honour to be in Türkiye alongside the Turkish leader.

“We will discuss trade, the military and many other issues today,” Trump told reporters before the NATO meeting.

Earlier, Trump received a ceremonial welcome in Ankara ahead of the summit, where alliance leaders are expected to discuss defence spending, Europe’s security, the war in Ukraine, tensions over Iran and the future of the transatlantic alliance.

Erdoğan welcomed Trump on the tarmac at Etimesgut Air Base before the US president proceeded to talks with the Turkish leader.

The visit marks Trump’s first trip to Türkiye as US president and the first official visit to the country by a US president in 11 years.

Former US president Barack Obama was the last American leader to pay an official visit to Türkiye in 2015.

Calling Erdoğan “a good friend” and a “strong leader”, Trump said the two countries enjoyed excellent relations and described Türkiye as “a very loyal ally”.

Trump said the two leaders also discussed Iran, claiming Tehran’s nuclear capability had been eliminated.

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He added that a decision would be made regarding Türkiye’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet programme, one of the most contentious issues in US-Türkiye defence relations.

Despite attending the alliance summit, Trump again criticised NATO, saying he remained disappointed with the military alliance and accusing several European members of not contributing enough to collective defence.

Erdoğan expressed confidence that Trump’s visit would further strengthen bilateral relations.

“This visit by President Trump will add new strength to our bilateral relationship,” Erdoğan said.

The Turkish president said the two leaders also discussed efforts to promote peace and stability, including developments related to Iran and the war in Gaza.

“We will do whatever we can to help establish peace regarding Iran and the United States,” he said, adding that securing a ceasefire in Gaza remained a priority.

The NATO summit is regarded as one of the alliance’s most significant meetings in recent years, bringing together leaders of its 32 member states amid growing geopolitical tensions.

One of the key issues under discussion is Türkiye’s possible return to the F-35 programme after it was removed in 2019 following its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.

According to Reuters, Trump is prepared to allow Türkiye to rejoin the programme, a move that could mark a significant improvement in defence ties between Washington and Ankara.

Defence spending is expected to dominate the summit agenda, with NATO members discussing plans to increase defence and security spending to five per cent of gross domestic product by 2035.

Ahead of the leaders’ meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a series of defence initiatives worth tens of billions of dollars, urging member states to expand military production to address growing security challenges.

Alliance members also discussed continued military support for Ukraine, future US troop deployments in Europe and regional tensions involving Iran as leaders sought to reinforce NATO’s collective security commitments.