Trump Told Erdogan He Is Attending NATO’s Ankara Summit “Just for Him”
US President Donald Trump reportedly told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would attend the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara “just for him,” according to sources familiar with a phone call between the two leaders.
The comments come as tensions grow between Washington and European allies ahead of the July NATO summit in Turkey, which is expected to highlight divisions over defense spending and alliance priorities. Turkish officials say Erdogan’s role as host has been a key factor in securing Trump’s participation.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the summit would include both European and US perspectives, stressing that meaningful progress would be difficult without Trump’s presence.
At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned NATO members that Washington is reviewing its military presence in Europe and may reduce contributions if allies fail to increase defense spending.
Turkey, however, has largely avoided US criticism due to its cooperation on several regional issues and has already exceeded NATO’s 2 percent defense spending target, with plans to move toward 5 percent in line with alliance goals.
