President Donald Trump says he's attending the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, for one reason: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."I'm going because of Erdoğan," Trump told reporters June 24, calling the Turkish leader "a friend" and "a respected leader" while signaling that closer defense cooperation between Washington and Ankara could be on the horizon.The summit will begin Tuesday in Ankara, Turkey.The remarks underscore a striking shift in the relationship between Washington and Turkey.Just a few years ago, after Turkey took delivery of Russia's S-400 air defense system in 2019, Washington expelled it from the multinational F-35 fighter program and, the following year, imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense procurement agency, cementing its reputation as one of NATO's most difficult allies.President Donald Trump greets Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct.
13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.(Evan Vucci AP Photo/ Pool)TRUMP'S TURKEY ARMS SALE PROPOSAL SPARKS CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE NATO SUMMITToday, despite many of those disputes remaining unresolved, Turkey has become increasingly difficult for the alliance to sideline as NATO confronts Russia, instability across the Middle East and an increasingly contested Black Sea, analysts and former officials say."Turkey is crucial to the Trump administration," former U.S.
Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey, who served as Trump's special representative for Syria during his first term, told Fox News Digital."President Trump has a great relationship with President Erdoğan of Turkey, who has been an incredible partner in the region," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement, adding that Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan at the NATO Summit. Jeffrey said Trump's affinity for Erdoğan is genuine but reflects more than personal chemis...