One of the biggest uncertainties before the NATO summit was whether U.S. President Donald Trump would attend NATO's Ankara summit. Following an invitation and phone call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it was announced that he would attend, and he did so.
At the press conference, he once again said, "If it weren't for Erdoğan, I wouldn't have come to this summit." He repeated, at an even higher register, what he had said about President Erdoğan both in bilateral meetings and in his absence. He reiterated phrases like "We're very good friends," "We have great chemistry," and "We have a wonderful relationship."
Looking at the two leaders' conduct and statements at the welcoming ceremony and press conference, it's easy to see, in terms of diplomatic language, that Trump has personal respect and trust for Erdoğan. Recall that his "behavior" toward the royal family during his visit to the United Kingdom was discussed for days. Yesterday, during the military ceremony, Erdoğan personally demonstrated to Trump what he needed to do.
One of the most critical outcomes of the visit was the lifting of sanctions and restrictions, and Trump leaving the door open on F-35 sales. Erdoğan reminded Trump that he had previously given his word on the F-35 issue, emphasizing, "Mr. Trump always keeps his word." This phrase naturally carries a "personal message."
Trump's statement, "We don't want to impose sanctions on our friends," should be read as a strong political message. We should expect concrete developments regarding the sale of engines to be used for the stealth fighter Kaan. Erdoğan's remark, "We will discuss the Kaan engines. I believe he will repeat here the good news he gave us," suggests a high likelihood that the deadlock will be resolved.
Since his first term as president, Trump has leveled substantive criticism at NATO. He says the U.S. isn't getting a fair return for what it pays toward European security. He has repeated the accusation that Europe, having grown accustomed to the American security umbrella for years, has avoided taking on shared responsibility. He has even said he would not protect NATO allies who don't spend on defense, and would, in fact, encourage Russia "to do whatever it wants."
Trump's criticisms found a response over time. Europe increased its defense spending. Nearly every country fulfilled its initial commitments. However, when Trump didn't receive the assistance he expected from NATO allies during the U.S.-Iran war, he sharpened his criticism once again.
The crisis was deepening ahead of the NATO summit. Had Trump not come to Ankara, discussions of "divergence" would have flared up even further.
Therefore, Trump's coming to Ankara was important for NATO's future. At today's leaders' summit, Trump repeated his criticisms of NATO. He told the European countries to their faces that they didn't help him in the war with Iran. However, his coming and saying these things is better than not coming at all.
