Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to enter next week’s NATO summit to reinforce his close relationship with US President Donald Trump, with Ankara hoping the visit will help unlock long-delayed defence agreements and strengthen cooperation between the two allies.
Trump’s decision to attend the summit is being viewed as an important diplomatic success for Turkey. The US president has repeatedly questioned Washington’s security commitments to Europe and has often criticised several NATO members over defence spending.
Despite that, he said he agreed to travel to Turkey largely because of his personal relationship with Erdogan.
Speaking recently, Trump described Erdogan as “a hell of a leader” and said he would not have attended the gathering for many other world leaders.
He added that the Turkish president had personally encouraged him to take part, stressing the importance of the United States being represented.
The visit comes at a time when NATO is seeking to maintain unity while facing growing security challenges.
Trump’s attendance is therefore likely to be welcomed by alliance members, even as he continues to press European countries to increase military spending and has criticised some allies for failing to support recent US military operations against Iran.
Beyond the diplomatic significance, Ankara is hoping the summit will create momentum for renewed defence cooperation with Washington.
Trump has indicated that announcements linked to military ties could be made during the visit, including potential progress on Turkey’s efforts to acquire F-35 fighter jets and F-110 jet engines for its domestically developed KAAN combat aircraft.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defence system.
Washington argued that operating the Russian system alongside the advanced fighter could expose sensitive military technology.
During a recent meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump suggested he was considering steps that would please Erdogan.
US Vice President JD Vance has also confirmed that Washington is examining possible ways to resume F-35 sales if Turkey satisfies the legal conditions required under US law.
At the same time, the US State Department has informed senior members of Congress about plans to proceed with a proposed sale of F-110 jet engines valued at more than 700 million US dollars. The engines are expected to power Turkey’s indigenous KAAN fighter aircraft.
However, the proposal continues to face resistance from some lawmakers, who remain concerned about Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system.
Analysts believe the personal relationship between Trump and Erdogan has become one of the defining features of modern US-Turkey relations.
Philip Gordon, a former national security adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Trump’s favourable view of strong leaders has contributed to an unusually close relationship with the Turkish president.
He argued that Erdogan has successfully used that personal connection to advance Ankara’s interests.
The relationship stands in contrast to the approach taken by former President Joe Biden, whose administration maintained a more cautious stance towards Turkey because of concerns over democratic standards and Ankara’s ties with Moscow.
Observers also note that Erdogan appeared to anticipate a possible return of Trump to the White House when he chose not to accept an invitation to visit Washington during Biden’s presidency, despite Turkey later approving Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Relations between Ankara and Washington have also improved in several other areas this year. The US Justice Department dropped a major sanctions-related case involving Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank, while Tom Barrack, a long-time ally of Trump, was appointed as the US ambassador to Turkey.
The two leaders have remained in regular contact over regional issues, including Syria, Gaza and wider Middle East security.
Turkey has also joined Trump’s Board of Peace initiative, which is intended to support oversight of the Gaza ceasefire.
Following their meeting at last year’s NATO summit, Erdogan said he and Trump communicate frequently and that telephone calls between them are typically returned within a day.
As the NATO summit approaches, Turkish officials will be hoping that the strong personal ties between the two presidents can now translate into concrete progress on defence cooperation and broader strategic relations between the two NATO allies.
