Trump skips usual NATO skepticism, says he's going because of his 'friend' Erdogan

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said that he would not have attended the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara for most world leaders, but that a personal appeal from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan changed his mind, offering one of his warmest recent endorsements of any foreign leader as he heads into a summit where he has clashed with several European allies.

The warmth Trump has reserved for Erdoğan stands in sharp contrast to his treatment of many other NATO allies expected at the Ankara summit.

Erdogan-Trump friendship leads the summit

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Trump suggested he would have skipped the gathering if it were being hosted elsewhere.

“If not for the fact that it was being held in Turkey by President Erdogan, I don’t think I would’ve gone to it,” Trump said.

“I wouldn’t have gone for what we went through over the last couple of months with the various countries.”

Erdoğan has responded in kind, telling reporters that with Trump as his friend, "we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish-American relations," adding that the two leaders have maintained a direct line throughout his second term.

"The process of telephone diplomacy between us has never exceeded 24 hours so far. When we call, the other side responds within 24 hours," Erdoğan said.

A different tone from his usual NATO posture

The warmth Trump has reserved for Erdoğan stands in sharp contrast to his treatment of many other NATO allies expected at the Ankara summit.

Trump has berated and belittled several European counterparts in recent months, clashing with alliance members over their failure to back his military campaign against Iran and repeatedly threatening to pull US forces from Europe and scale back America's role in the alliance.

He has long rebuked NATO countries over insufficient defense spending, calling the arrangement unfair to American taxpayers.

Trump will be the first US president to visit Turkey since Barack Obama in 2015, with the Biden administration having kept Erdoğan at arm's length over concerns about democratic backsliding and Turkey's closeness to Russia.

What analysts say about the relationship

Analysts say the personal bond between the two leaders has given Turkey a significant strategic advantage heading into the summit.

Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute said the two "clicked" during Trump's first term, and that Erdoğan made a calculated decision not to visit the United States when Biden extended an invitation in 2024.

"That was Erdoğan's way of signaling to Trump, 'Hey, you are going to probably win the elections,'" Cagaptay said. "I think Trump saw that as a giant gesture."

F-35 sale hinted as potential summit gift

Trump has also hinted that his visit could bring a tangible reward for Turkey. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, a reporter asked him if he was bringing a “big gift bag for Erdoğan,” and Trump did not dismiss the premise.

President Donald Trump speaks to media at the start of the second day of the 2025 NATO Summit on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands )Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Ankara has long sought both F-110 jet engines and the F-35 fighter jets, which were banned from being sold to Turkey after Erdogan’s government bought the Russian S-400 air-defence system in 2019, prompting US sanctions.

Trump has hinted he could have news on both during the visit, opening the door to the possibility of the summit producing a major change in US-Turkey defense relations.

The potential sale has drawn objections from Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly urged Trump to rein in Erdoğan and halt any F-35 deal, given Turkey's growing influence in Syria and its strained relations with Jerusalem.

Whether Trump will heed that concern or proceed with a defense package for Ankara is expected to be one of the summit's most closely watched outcomes.