Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he will “most likely” hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during next month’s NATO summit in Ankara, where the American leader is expected to attend.
Speaking to reporters in parliament on Wednesday, Erdoğan did not confirm a formal meeting but indicated that discussions between the two leaders were expected to take place.
“It will most likely happen,” he said, referring to a potential one-on-one meeting on 7-8 July, when Türkiye hosts the alliance summit.
Türkiye will host the leaders of NATO’s 32 member states, alongside representatives from partner countries in the Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions.
The summit is expected to take place against a backdrop of internal alliance tensions over burden-sharing, defence spending commitments and differing approaches to regional crises, including U.S. concerns about allied positions during recent instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
Erdoğan has previously stressed the importance of Trump’s attendance, saying it would demonstrate unity within the alliance at a time of global uncertainty.
The Turkish and U.S. presidents have developed closer ties since Trump returned to the White House in 2025, with both sides increasing cooperation on regional security issues.
Recent progress has also been made in resolving longstanding disputes, including legal tensions surrounding Türkiye’s state-owned lender Halkbank and sanctions-related cases.
The improving relationship is seen as a key factor shaping Ankara’s diplomatic positioning within NATO and wider regional politics.
According to Burhanettin Duran, Erdoğan’s communications director, defence burden-sharing will be a central topic at the summit.
He said NATO members are reassessing defence spending in response to a “changing security architecture” and rising global risks.
Türkiye, he added, aims to reach a combined defence spending target of 3.5% plus 1.5% of GDP by 2030.
In addition to NATO members, the summit will include representatives from the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which involves several Middle Eastern countries, as well as Indo-Pacific partners including Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Australia.
Officials said participation at foreign minister level reflects NATO’s expanding engagement with partners beyond the Euro-Atlantic region.
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