Newsletters
U.S. President Donald Trump told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he plans to attend the NATO summit in Ankara in July, Middle East Eye reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the conversations.
The visit could make the summit one of the most consequential NATO meetings in decades as the U.S. weighs the possibility of withdrawing troops from Europe.
Trump told Erdogan during a phone call on May 20 that he would visit Ankara to attend the summit, according to the report.
In April, Trump said he was seriously considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO and said he was frustrated with the alliance.
However, he used a different tone during his phone call with Erdogan, saying he planned to attend the Ankara meeting.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said over the weekend that Erdogan had spoken with Trump several times in the past month and that Trump had not suggested in any of those calls that he would skip the summit.
Trump is expected to honor his commitment to visit Türkiye after Erdogan traveled to Washington during Trump’s first and second terms, and the U.S. president promised a reciprocal visit.
However, officials said Trump is known for acting impulsively and that nothing has been finalized.
Some reports have suggested that Erdogan also hopes to meet Trump in Los Angeles during the U.S.-Türkiye World Cup match scheduled for June 25.
Sources familiar with the matter told MEE that Erdogan often likes to attend football matches to support the Turkish national team.
If Erdogan travels to Los Angeles, he may seek to meet Trump and watch the match with him, the sources said.
However, no decision has yet been made on such a visit.
MEE said it contacted the White House for comment.
European officials have placed growing importance on the NATO summit in Ankara as questions continue over the future of the alliance.
“If he comes, there may be mayhem and shouting matches,” one European official told MEE. “However, if he doesn’t come, it would be detrimental to the future of the alliance.”
Other European officials said the summit could be the most important in decades, as the U.S. signals it may no longer protect Europe against external threats.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and other European leaders are expected to try to persuade Trump of the alliance’s importance to transatlantic security.
Some officials believe the best Türkiye, as the host nation, and other allies can do is seek a roadmap from Washington for a gradual U.S. withdrawal from Europe rather than an abrupt one.
“We need a new framework that could both accommodate Trump’s wishes and address Europe’s security needs,” one European diplomat said. “But it would take years.”
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
1 min read
