From the moment Donald Trump’s presidential aircraft touched down in Ankara, the NATO Summit had an undisputed star—and it was Trump himself. The U.S. president received an unusually warm and surprising welcome: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally waited for him on the tarmac—a gesture of honor extended to no other leader among the more than 30 heads of state attending the summit.
A Spectacle Fit for a Headliner
The ceremonial reception featured all the trappings of a grand spectacle: mounted cavalry, a military band playing the U.S. national anthem, artillery salutes, and fighter jets flying overhead—leaving red, white, and blue smoke trails across the sky.
As diplomats and politicians observed, Trump instantly became the center of gravity at the summit. ‘He takes all the oxygen out of the room—for everyone else,’ said South Dakota Republican Senator Mike Rounds.
From Diplomacy to Drama
True to form, political developments were accompanied by personal theatrics. Earlier this month, Trump said he would make the ten-hour trip to Turkey solely because Erdoğan was his ‘good friend.’
He also stirred controversy by contacting FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to U.S. national team top scorer Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. That decision was ultimately overturned, allowing Balogun to return to action against Belgium—a move that sparked anger in Brussels.
F-35s and Friendly Gestures
Trump’s effusive public praise for Erdoğan ahead of the NATO meeting signaled a clear intent to reposition the Turkish president as a privileged interlocutor for Washington—even if concrete concessions remain elusive for now.
Their meeting was rich in symbolism. Trump called Turkey a ‘great ally,’ praised his ‘excellent chemistry’ with Erdoğan, highlighted bilateral trade ties, and even claimed he wouldn’t have attended the summit had it not been hosted in Ankara—a barrage of goodwill impossible to ignore.
The most significant reference, however, concerned the F-35 fighter jets. ‘It’s time to lift the sanctions,’ Trump said—though he offered no timeline, no formal commitment, and no indication of how he’d navigate strong congressional opposition to Turkey’s potential reinstatement in the program.
Erdoğan seized on the positive tone immediately. He stated that the U.S. had pledged five F-35s to Turkey, expressed optimism about a favorable outcome, and emphasized that Trump ‘has given his word.’