ANKARA — Turkey rolled out an elaborate welcome for President Donald Trump at a NATO summit in Ankara, staging a red, white, and blue aerial display and even naming a new airport terminal in his honor — all in a bid to strengthen ties between Washington and Ankara at one of the alliance’s most high-profile gatherings.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally greeted Trump at the airport on Tuesday, and the two leaders walked arm-in-arm. Trump, referring to Erdogan as his “dear friend,” later pledged to lift sanctions he had personally imposed on Turkey during his first term in office six years ago — a period widely regarded as one of the lowest points in U.S.-Turkish relations.
The warmth between the two leaders only deepened over the course of the two-day summit, which wrapped up Wednesday. Trump indicated he was open to selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets — though he later walked that back slightly, saying he hadn’t fully made up his mind. He repeatedly praised Erdogan throughout the summit, and the two shared smiles, laughter, and embraces while communicating through interpreters.
For many diplomats, simply getting Trump to show up had been Turkey’s biggest hurdle. Trump, who has long criticized NATO allies for not spending enough on defense, said the only reason he attended was because Erdogan was the host. That statement alone was considered a diplomatic achievement for Turkey, which has been working to raise its standing within the alliance and resolve longstanding friction with the United States.
“It was valuable that Trump emphasised the importance he places on myself and our friendship,” Erdogan said as the summit came to a close. “I thank my dear friend once again.”
Despite the warm bilateral atmosphere, Trump stirred controversy on Wednesday — the day after his cordial meetings with Erdogan — by calling on the U.S. to sever trade ties with Spain and repeating his claims over Greenland, which irritated NATO ally Denmark. He later described the leaders’ meeting as full of love and “a lot of unity,” offering some reassurance to an alliance that has grown uneasy with an unpredictable American president who has at times questioned NATO’s worth.
Trump also took the unusual step of publicly defending Erdogan against criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had warned against the potential F-35 sale to Ankara. Trump made the defense while seated alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Earlier, in front of reporters, Trump signaled he would remove U.S. sanctions that were put in place after Turkey’s 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems — a move that drew a thumbs-up from Erdogan. He also hinted at a willingness to sell Turkey the F-35s that had been blocked as a result of those sanctions and other U.S. laws.
Turkey had been pushing for both of those steps for years, even as it refused to back away from the S-400 acquisition, which had at the time angered the U.S. and other NATO members and damaged trust within the alliance.
Even so, Trump’s pledge is expected to run into resistance in the U.S. Congress, where existing laws require Turkey to no longer possess the S-400 systems. The move could also create complications with Russia, which has end-user conditions attached to the original purchase agreement.
The diplomatic progress, even if largely symbolic at this stage, comes just weeks after a U.S. court brought to a close a lengthy criminal case involving Turkish state bank Halkbank — a case Erdogan had publicly criticized as unjust.
The developments could also provide a domestic political boost for Erdogan, who has led Turkey for 23 years and whose popularity has been under pressure amid an unprecedented legal crackdown on the country’s main opposition party. Critics have pointed to that crackdown as a significant test of Turkey’s democratic standing.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, when asked about a series of arrests in Turkey just before the summit — including journalists and a well-known comedian — said that democracy encompasses more than just elections, noting it also means the right to protest and freedom of the press.
“Never before in our history has there been a government so deeply dependent on the U.S. administration,” said Ozgur Ozel, the ousted leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, speaking on Tuesday.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, had kept Erdogan at a distance largely due to concerns over human rights and civil liberties in Turkey. Since then, Western nations have largely gone quiet on those concerns as Turkey has grown into a significant defense industry power and a key buffer against Russian aggression along NATO’s southeastern border.
The pageantry of Trump’s arrival at the 1,100-room presidential palace in Ankara on Tuesday underscored the importance Turkey placed on the visit. He was escorted by 100 horsemen and greeted by a ceremonial guard that, in a first for the palace, included soldiers dressed as historical Ottoman warriors. As Trump and Erdogan walked side by side, Turkish military jets streaked overhead, leaving trails of red, white, and blue in the sky.
