Donald Trump has arrived in Ankara ahead of the NATO summit, in a visit that comes amid tensions and questions over the direction of the alliance. According to footage released from the official استقبال, the US president was received by Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately after stepping off the plane.
Official welcome in Ankara
According to the version published by the organizers, Trump and Erdogan walked side by side after the US president’s arrival, before the military guard welcome ceremony continued.
The first images from Ankara place the focus on the symbolism of the meeting, at a time when relations between Washington and Ankara remain burdened by unresolved issues.
The NATO summit and dilemmas over the US role
The visit is taking place ahead of the NATO summit, while discussions continue to circulate about the future of the alliance.
According to publicly released information, the US administration had previously raised the issue of reviewing the role and commitment of the United States within NATO, adding to uncertainty over Washington’s position.
Turkey’s file and the F-35 program also on the table
One of the most sensitive issues remains Turkey’s relationship with the F-35 fighter jet program.
According to the source material, the possibility of bringing Ankara back into the program has been discussed in Washington, despite Turkey’s use of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
That issue, according to the same information, has met opposition from some Republican figures and from Israel, showing that the matter remains political and far from a simple solution.
Meetings expected during the visit
During his stay in Ankara, Trump is also expected to hold meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The agenda for these meetings was not detailed further in the source material, but their presence on the same itinerary makes the Ankara visit more substantial than a protocol welcome ahead of the summit.
Trump’s arrival in Ankara is accompanied by carefully staged official choreography, but behind the symbolic images, several of the most sensitive issues in US-Turkey relations remain open.
For that very reason, attention is focused not only on the welcome on the runway, but on what the political meetings will produce on the eve of the NATO summit.