US President Donald Trump said that his close personal relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the direct reason behind his participation in the NATO summit held in Ankara, stressing that his attendance came as an "appreciation" for Erdogan, and that he would not have participated if the summit had not been held in Turkey.
During his meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit, Trump explained that relations between Washington and Ankara are "better now than ever," noting that NATO has "greatly disappointed," especially in its stance during the war with Iran. He added that he intends to discuss the Ukrainian crisis with the Turkish president, and that decisions related to it will be taken later.
Trump reviewed what he described as his "record of bringing peace," saying that he has stopped eight wars and hopes to end the "ninth war," expressing optimism that the war in Ukraine can be ended soon.
Trump: Turkey delivers F-35 jets
Asked if Turkey's possession of Russian S-400 systems worries him in the context of the F-35 deal, he said, "I don't worry about anything right now as far as Turkey is concerned, relations with Turkey at the moment are probably better than ever," stressing that bilateral relations with Turkey are now at their highest level, including compared to his first presidential term.
Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program in 2019 after it purchased Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, which Washington considered a threat to NATO's air defense systems and F-35 stealth aircraft, before Washington later imposed sanctions on Ankara under the "Countering America's Enemies Through Sanctions" law.
The development comes days after US Vice President J.D. Vance announced that the administration is considering the possibility of delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and is working with Congress on the issue, noting that it is about the extent to which Turkey complies with US laws for obtaining the aircraft.
Erdogan: Trump keeps his promises
For his part, President Erdogan expressed confidence that the NATO summit will issue a positive decision on Turkey's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, noting that Trump has previously made a promise in this regard and that he "always keeps his promises" and that the leaders' meetings will "positively" test previous promises.
The meeting between the two leaders comes in light of outstanding files between the two countries, most notably the F-35 deal, the war in Ukraine, and the Syrian file, in addition to trade relations that are witnessing remarkable growth.
NATO summit kicks off in Ankara
The meeting coincided with the start of the 36th NATO summit in Ankara, which for the first time will witness the inclusion of the Defense Industries Forum in its official program, amid expectations of an "important decision" being announced during the forum's activities, with the participation of senior Turkish officials, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the official program of the summit, an "important announcement" is expected to be made during the forum, with the participation of Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to make remarks during the forum's sessions focusing on the defense industries.
The summit includes a special session of foreign ministers within the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which was launched in 2004 and includes Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, and will also include a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and the countries of the initiative.
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