Turkish pro-government media is celebrating after reports emerged that Donald Trump told Erdogan he would only attend th...

Turkish pro-government media is celebrating after reports emerged that Donald Trump told Erdogan he would only attend the NATO Summit in Ankara because of him personally. According to Middle East Eye, a London-based outlet with a reliable track record on regional reporting, Trump told Erdogan during a phone call that he was coming to the July 7-8 summit "only for him." Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed the dynamic publicly, stating that multiple European countries believe Erdogan's role as host was the single most important factor in securing Trump's attendance. Fidan was blunt: "If it weren't for our President, Trump would not have come." Turkish pro-government newspapers ran with the story hard, with one headline declaring "The heart of NATO will beat in Ankara." The tone across Turkey's state-aligned press was celebratory, framing the summit as a diplomatic win for Erdogan before it has even started. There had been genuine skepticism in recent months about whether Trump would actually show up. When reporters asked him earlier this year if he planned to attend, he said yes, but many analysts expected a last-minute cancellation. The Middle East Eye report, citing sources close to Trump, appears to have settled that question. Fidan returned to Ankara just this week from Kazan, Russia, where he met with President Putin and was received warmly, adding another layer to Turkey's busy diplomatic calendar ahead of the summit. #NATO #Trump #Erdogan