Trump told Erdogan he is attending Nato's Ankara summit 'just for him'

Trump told Erdogan he is attending Nato's Ankara summit 'just for him' Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Thu, 06/18/2026 - 12:04 Sources say Erdogan’s role as host helped persuade Trump to attend as tensions grow between Washington and European allies US President Donald Trump greets Recep Tayyip Erdogan outside the West Wing as he arrives at the White House on 25 September 2025 (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last month that he would attend the forthcoming Nato summit in Ankara just to please the Turkish leader, according to several sources familiar with the phone call who spoke to Middle East Eye. Tensions between the US and its European allies have been steadily rising, and the July summit is seen as a potential breaking point, where both sides are expected to reveal their positions and attempt to chart a path forward together. “Many European countries say that the fact that the meeting will be held in Turkey , hosted by our president, is the most important factor that made President Trump’s participation in the summit possible,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters on Thursday.