Trump reportedly told Erdogan directly that he's attending next month's NATO summit in Ankara because of him, according ...

Trump reportedly told Erdogan directly that he's attending next month's NATO summit in Ankara because of him, according to sources familiar with a recent phone call between the two leaders. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Trump's presence is largely owed to the fact that Erdogan is hosting, suggesting the US president might have skipped it otherwise. Turkish diplomacy is already framing Trump's attendance as an indirect endorsement of Ankara's elevated role on the world stage. It's a dynamic that sits uncomfortably with European NATO allies, whose relationships with Washington have been strained for months over defense spending disputes and disagreements about the alliance's strategic direction. The backdrop to the summit is getting heavier by the day. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a full review of American military presence in Europe over the next six months, and Washington has made clear it expects European allies to push defense spending toward 5% of GDP or face reduced American military and financial contributions to NATO. Turkey, meanwhile, is positioning itself as Washington's preferred partner inside the alliance. Ankara has already exceeded the current 2% GDP defense spending target, sitting at 2.3%, and says it plans to move toward the 5% target over the next decade. Erdogan's government has also backed initiatives seen as valuable to Washington, from Middle East diplomacy to the recent talks tied to Iran. On the military side, NATO allies have been reinforcing their presence in Turkey. The US and Germany have deployed Patriot air defense systems to southern Turkey, and Italy has stationed a SAMP/T air defense system at the Konya air base as part of NATO's collective air defense planning. The Ankara summit is shaping up to be a defining moment for the US-Europe relationship inside NATO, with Turkey firmly positioned at the center of it all. #NATO #Turkey #Trump