Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated he will "most likely" hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump when Trump visits Turkey for a NATO summit on July 7-8. The summit will address alliance burden-sharing and defense spending.
The potential meeting between President Erdogan and President Trump at the NATO summit highlights ongoing diplomatic engagement between Turkey and the U.S. on critical alliance issues, including defense spending and regional security.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan indicated that he will "most likely" hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump when Trump visits Turkey for a NATO summit on July 7-8. Turkey is set to host 32 NATO leaders, along with officials from partner countries in the Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions.
Discussions at the summit are expected to focus on alliance burden-sharing and defense spending, with Turkey aiming to reach a defense spending target of 3.5% + 1.5% by the end of 2030, according to Erdogan's communications director, Burhanettin Duran. The two leaders have cultivated a close relationship since Trump's return to the White House, enhancing cooperation on regional matters and resolving disputes.
Erdogan has previously emphasized the importance of Trump's attendance for demonstrating alliance unity. The summit will also include representatives from the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and the Indo-Pacific Four countries at the foreign ministers level.