Politics
Erdoğan leads peace diplomacy as Israel-Iran tensions simmer
As Israel and Iran respond to each other’s attacks, which started with Israel’s coordinated strikes across Iran on Friday, Iran’s neighbor and Israel’s chief critic, Türkiye, remains concerned. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan coordinates the response to the developments in the region through intensive phone diplomacy. Erdoğan held talks with leaders from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian since the attacks and convened a security meeting at the Presidential Complex on Saturday.
Türkiye adheres to its stance that Israel is a primary threat to the region, especially in light of its expansionist policies. Ankara advocates that Israel was emboldened by the inaction of the international community and spread its conflict with the Palestinians to a wider region. This stance was evident in Erdoğan’s talks over the weekend.
Erdoğan told his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that Türkiye sees nuclear negotiations as the only way to resolve the Israel-Iran conflict, the president’s office said.
According to a statement by his office, Erdoğan told Trump over the phone that Türkiye supports the U.S. view that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the dispute and Ankara’s readiness “to do everything it can to prevent uncontrolled escalation of the tension.”
The two leaders discussed the Israel-Iran conflict and regional and global issues, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications. President Erdoğan said Türkiye is closely monitoring the tension between Iran and Israel, adding that it sees talks over Iran’s nuclear program as “the only way” to resolve the dispute. He “expressed support for the U.S. position that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the issue.” Trump has also urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program before it is too late. However, the sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington which was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat was canceled.
‘Devastating war’
Erdoğan also warned against a “devastating war” that could trigger a refugee crisis, in a series of calls to regional leaders, his office added. Speaking to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdoğan said that Israel was seeking “to drag the whole region into the fire,” according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency. This viewpoint echoes Türkiye’s earlier concern about Israel’s expansionist policies after Israeli security forces targeted Lebanon and killed the Hezbollah leaders in a series of attacks and assassinations.
To Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdoğan said: “Our region cannot tolerate another crisis, and a devastating war could create waves of irregular migration toward all the countries in the region.” Türkiye already hosts millions of Syrians, who fled their civil war, as well as Iranians seeking lives away from their country’s authoritarian rulers. The influx has created political tensions in Türkiye.
Erdoğan told Saudi Arabia’s prince that Israel needed “to be stopped,” calling it “the main threat to stability and security in the region,” the statement from the Presidency said. The issue of Iran’s nuclear program “can only be resolved through negotiations,” he added. “The fact that the international community has closed its eyes to the occupation and genocide in Palestine has led Israel to this level of flouting the law and its aggression,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying.
In talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Erdoğan said the cycle of violence caused by Israel threatens the region, emphasizing the importance of Syria staying out of the conflict. The Turkish president stressed the need for heightened vigilance against terrorist groups and radical elements in the current climate of Israeli aggression. Syria already faces an Israeli threat as the latter made an incursion into the country following the fall of the Assad regime last December and seized parts of the Golan Heights between the two countries. Israel also continued bombings of several locations within Syria after al-Sharaa-led forces toppled the Assad regime.
Erdoğan also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
He told Egypt’s el-Sissi that Israel’s attacks “seriously” harm regional security and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawlessness threatens global stability, Türkiye’s communications directorate said on X. Erdoğan said the Netanyahu government’s disregard for international law poses a global threat to stability.
Stressing that the region cannot afford another crisis, Erdoğan warned that Israel is trying to derail efforts for a nuclear deal with Iran. He underlined the importance of continuing the talks, which are mediated by Oman, and urged that Israel’s attacks on Iran should not be allowed to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Erdoğan warned that Israel’s attacks on Iran constitute a provocation that could seriously harm the region’s security, stressing that “the aggressive and lawless stance” of Israel and the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu creates a global issue for stability and security. Noting that the global community’s silence on the occupation and genocide in Palestine has enabled Israel’s aggression to escalate to this level, Erdoğan said these attacks undermine efforts to resolve the issue over Iran’s nuclear program. Any potential nuclear leakage resulting from Israel’s strikes threatens civilians as well as regional and global health – an issue Israel is disregarding, he added. Stressing that the region cannot tolerate another crisis, President Erdoğan said continuing nuclear talks is the only way to resolve the conflict. The Turkish leader also urged that these attacks should not overshadow the Palestinian cause.
Silence over occupation and genocide in Palestine has empowered Israel’s actions in Iran, Erdoğan told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a phone call, said Türkiye’s communications directorate on X.
Israel’s attacks on Iran are “unacceptable,” he said, adding the attacks have seriously damaged regional security, Tel Aviv poses a threat to global stability and security, he warned. He also noted that the attacks by Israel undermine efforts to resolve Iran’s nuclear program. He highlighted the importance of not allowing Israel to use these attacks to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that the two agreed that “Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran” was “a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”
On Sunday, Erdoğan held a phone call with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The president and the sultan discussed the conflict, as well as regional and global issues, media reports said.
Also on Saturday, Erdoğan chaired a security meeting.
At the meeting, the conflict sparked by Israel’s attacks was thoroughly discussed from all angles, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said.
The session addressed the impact of Israeli attacks on regional and global security, along with Türkiye’s possible contingency measures.
“The security meeting addressed Israel’s expanding aggression, diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts, the attacks’ global and regional security impacts, necessary measures and Türkiye’s preparations for potential developments,” the communications directorate said.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, head of the intelligence organization Ibrahim Kalın and Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were among the officials who attended the meeting.
In the aftermath of Israel’s attacks on Iran on Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a similar meeting with Kalın and Güler and stated that Israel must immediately abandon its strategy to destabilize the region. In a post on X after the four-hour security meeting, Fidan said that Ankara had been in close contact with the U.S., Iran, Iraq and Jordan. He added that Türkiye had taken necessary measures at the highest level against regional security risks.
Media outlets reported that Türkiye has been monitoring the activity of Israeli warplanes since the first attack, and authorities regularly briefed Erdoğan on the developments. After the attacks on Iran, Fidan talked with his counterparts in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon about the situation. The countries reportedly agreed to share information directly about the developments.
Türkiye maintains good ties with Iran, while its relations with Israel sharply deteriorated after the renewed Palestine-Israel conflict in 2023, at a time of debate on whether to normalize ties between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which was harmed by Israel’s aggression targeting Palestinians, particularly Gaza, in the past.
Iranian influx denied
Another fallout of the conflict may be an influx of Iranians fleeing the attacks, as speculated on Turkish social media. Though this might be true if the conflict escalates and forces the displacement of Iranians, Türkiye denied claims that a wave of migrants is heading to Türkiye already. The Presidency’s Directorate of Communication’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in a recent statement that the reports were untrue and aimed to disseminate disinformation. The center noted that the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of migration, confirmed no unusual activity on the Turkish-Iranian border, nor a change in the pace of irregular migration on the border, which is usually a route for irregular migrants traveling from Asian countries like Afghanistan.
The center said the border is monitored around the clock by security forces utilizing high technology, from thermal cameras to optical towers. “Reports (of the influx) likely aim to stir up speculations, particularly to promote xenophobia and fuel destabilization. Our citizens should not heed such content of disinformation and pay attention only to statements by authorities,” the center said in a statement.
On the contrary, there was an influx of Iranians returning home over the weekend. As airspaces remained closed, Iranian nationals visiting Türkiye and those living there took the long route of land travel. Bus companies in Istanbul, one of the most popular cities for Iranian visitors, added more trips to their itinerary over rising demand. Bus rides were also popular for Iranians arriving from third countries who tried to reach their countries amid cancellations of flights from Türkiye and other regional countries into Iran.
Ömer Sağdıç, a bus driver taking 47 Iranian passengers to the Gürbulak border crossing with Iran from Istanbul, told Demirören News Agency (DHA) that they used to see a surge in Iranian visitors to Türkiye, but it has reversed now. “People are rushing to see their families, to check whether they are safe. The demand is high and people have to wait for one day to find tickets,” he said on Sunday.
Türkiye will mark the 10th anniversary of the defeated July 15, 2016 coup attempt with a nationwide series of commemorative events aimed at honoring those killed and injured while reinforcing public awareness of the events, organizers announced Thursday.
The July 15 Association unveiled the program during a press conference at the July 15 Memory Museum in Istanbul, saying activities will take place throughout July, with some projects continuing year-round.
Deputy Governor of Istanbul Mehmet Sülün said the commemorations are intended not only to remember the events of July 15 but also to preserve public memory for future generations.
“The purpose of these events is to honor our martyrs and remind society of the sacrifices made by our nation on that night,” Sülün said, adding that the program was prepared in coordination with the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, public institutions and civil society organizations.
July 15 Association President Ismail Hakkı Turunç noted the lessons of the failed coup attempt should not be forgotten even a decade later.
“We cannot simply say it happened and move on,” Turunç stressed. “There are important lessons to be learned from this attack against our nation’s values and future.”
Turunç, who said he took part in the civilian resistance in Istanbul on the night of the coup attempt, recalled losing 13 friends in Saraçhane while 47 others were wounded. He reminded the resistance, in which 253 people were killed and nearly 2,800 were injured nationwide, represented a collective stand by the Turkish people.
Academic symposiums will be held in Istanbul and Ankara from July 9 to July 11, while Türkiye’s major suspension bridges, including the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, will be decorated with Turkish flags.
Other events include Quran recitations at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, programs for the children of martyrs and veterans, blood donation campaigns, public exhibitions, memorial runs, cycling and motorcycle tours, and a flotilla of 253 boats in the Marmara Sea.
On July 15, commemorations will culminate with an official ceremony in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district, alongside projection mapping displays at Galata Tower and the Maiden’s Tower.
Organizers said additional projects, including traveling exhibitions, public discussions and educational initiatives, will continue throughout the year to preserve the memory of the failed coup attempt.
Türkiye’s Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has removed 62 former judges and prosecutors from their positions over their roles in the investigation and prosecution of the Ergenekon case, a move that also clears the way for the Treasury to seek reimbursement of compensation previously paid to victims following court rulings.
The decision, issued by the HSK’s Second Chamber, concerns judicial officials who served during various stages of the Ergenekon investigation and trial. Most of those named had already been dismissed from the judiciary after the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt over alleged links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which Ankara blames for orchestrating the coup attempt.
According to the disciplinary ruling, the chamber imposed a total of 230 dismissal sanctions involving 62 former judges and prosecutors. Proceedings against two individuals were terminated due to their deaths.
Among those listed in the decision are former prosecutor Zekeriya Öz and former prosecutor Fikret Seçen, both of whom were key figures during the Ergenekon investigations.
The Ergenekon case began in 2007 after weapons were discovered in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district and eventually led to the prosecution of hundreds of military officers, journalists, academics and other public figures accused of belonging to an alleged clandestine network plotting to overthrow the government.
Following the failed coup attempt in 2016, Turkish authorities reassessed many of the investigations and trials carried out by members of FETÖ’s network within the judiciary. Officials have since argued that the Ergenekon proceedings were part of a broader effort by the terrorist group to remove senior military personnel and expand its influence within state institutions.
The HSK said disciplinary complaints related to the Ergenekon proceedings had remained pending for years while criminal investigations continued. The chamber decided to proceed with disciplinary action without waiting for the conclusion of all criminal proceedings, citing the requirements of disciplinary law and the need to protect public confidence in the judiciary.
The ruling is also expected to have financial consequences.
The HSK authorized the state to seek recourse against those held responsible for compensation payments made by the Treasury after rulings by the Constitutional Court and other courts found rights violations in relation to the Ergenekon proceedings. The decision opens the possibility of recovering compensation already paid by the state from the former judicial officials concerned.
The disciplinary sanctions vary among those named in the ruling.
Former Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court President Hasan Hüseyin Özese received 19 dismissal sanctions, while Sedat Sami Haşıloğlu received 17 and Hüsnü Çalmuk 16. Former prosecutor Zekeriya Öz received 13 sanctions, while Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel and Ercan Fırat each received 12. Several other former judges and prosecutors received multiple dismissal sanctions, bringing the total number of disciplinary penalties to 230.
The ruling marks one of the most extensive disciplinary decisions taken in connection with the Ergenekon proceedings and represents another step in Türkiye’s continuing efforts to address alleged FETÖ influence within the judiciary following the 2016 coup attempt.
Justice Minister and HSK President Akın Gürlek repeatedly pledged to continue efforts to eliminate illegal structures within the judiciary and strengthen public confidence in the judicial system. The latest ruling is being viewed by judicial observers as one of the most comprehensive disciplinary measures related to the Ergenekon case since the aftermath of the failed coup.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended condolences and pledged solidarity with Venezuela after a pair of powerful earthquakes struck the country, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 700 and prompting a national state of emergency as rescue teams continue digging through widespread destruction.
The disaster unfolded late Wednesday when two strong quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, struck in quick succession along Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coast.
The second tremor hit roughly 40 seconds after the first, amplifying structural stress across already weakened buildings and infrastructure.
The shallow depth of the earthquakes intensified the impact, turning routine urban centers into scenes of collapse and chaos, with reports of damaged roads, disrupted communications and widespread power outages.
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced a national state of emergency as emergency crews were deployed across affected regions, particularly in Yaracuy state and nearby coastal areas.
Early figures placed the death toll at 32, with more than 700 injured, though officials warned those numbers remain fluid as search-and-rescue operations continue in heavily damaged urban zones.
In a message posted on social media platform X, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed sorrow over the loss of life and sent wishes for recovery to those injured. He stressed that Türkiye shares the grief of the Venezuelan people and reaffirmed that Ankara stands ready to support its “friends in difficult days,” framing the response as both humanitarian and diplomatic solidarity.
The epicenter of the quakes was reported in Venezuela’s Yaracuy region, near San Felipe and Moron, areas that sit roughly west of Caracas.
The seismic activity, occurring at shallow depths estimated between 10 and 22 kilometers, is considered unusually destructive for the region, with experts noting that shallow quakes tend to transmit stronger surface shaking and cause greater building failure.
Beyond the immediate casualties, the earthquakes disrupted critical infrastructure across multiple states.
Transportation networks, including sections of airport operations and urban transit systems, were temporarily halted or restricted.
Hospitals in affected areas were overwhelmed by incoming casualties, while emergency responders worked through aftershocks and unstable structures in search of survivors.
Authorities in Caracas and surrounding regions have warned that aftershocks are expected to continue, complicating rescue operations and recovery efforts.
International assistance has begun to mobilize, with several governments signaling readiness to provide humanitarian aid, search-and-rescue teams and emergency supplies as damage assessments expand.
The disaster marks one of the most severe seismic events Venezuela has experienced in decades, a country that lies near active tectonic boundaries but rarely sees earthquakes of this magnitude in rapid succession.
Scientists say the close timing of the two major quakes likely contributed to the scale of structural collapse, as buildings weakened by the first shock were hit again before stabilizing.
The crisis also underscores growing diplomatic engagement between Ankara and Caracas.
Türkiye and Venezuela have expanded ties in recent years across trade, energy and mining sectors, with high-level talks held in Istanbul earlier in June between Erdoğan and Venezuela’s leadership.
Those discussions focused on strengthening economic cooperation, adding context to Ankara’s swift humanitarian response.
Türkiye has increasingly positioned itself as a rapid responder in global disasters, often deploying search-and-rescue teams through its AFAD disaster agency.
The country’s own experience with major earthquakes in recent years has shaped its emphasis on international humanitarian outreach.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) denied the extraordinary congress request by former Chair Özgür Özel but set September as the month to begin the ordinary congress process. Özel hopes to take back his seat with an extraordinary intra-party election after a court ousted him from office over vote-buying allegations in a 2023 intra-party vote. Reinstated Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu resisted the call since he returned to office in May, but his spokesperson, Müslim Sarı, announced the congress on Tuesday evening.
Sarı’s statement came after a meeting of the party’s assembly under the leadership of Kılıçdaroğlu and days after supporters of Özel delivered a petition bearing signatures of hundreds of delegates calling for a congress to the party’s headquarters.
Özel counts on a new election, while the Kılıçdaroğlu administration continues its purge of pro-Özel figures in the party, under the name of “clearing the party of corruption.” On Tuesday, the party announced the removal of chairs of CHP branches in Malatya and Kayseri. The removals and new appointments have incited tensions in the party. Earlier, pro-Özel groups had resisted handing over the administration to a new chair in the western city of Izmir, and similar scenes were repeated late Tuesday in Malatya. Barış Yıldız, removed from the office in Malatya, refused to leave the building for hours. His successor, Hakan Satılmış, notified police and forced his way into the locked building with the aid of a locksmith. Satılmış told reporters that they tried to carry out the transition in a calm manner, but the former administration opposed them.
New party
Though he seeks re-election in the CHP, Özel also continues preparations to launch a separate party. Rumored to be named “March Party” in reference to Özel’s slogan “marching to power,” the party may be founded if the congress process takes longer than expected. The Özel camp hopes to take back the party or establish a new one before the 2028 general elections.
Sources close to Özel told the Nefes newspaper, a media outlet supporting the former chair, that the new party would be a “Türkiye alliance” rather than a left-wing movement. The CHP, founded by the republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, portrays itself as a social democrat party and is a member of the Socialist International. It failed to win any election in decades, and after the victory of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in its first election more than two decades ago, it has strictly ranked second in consecutive election races. The AK Party links its success to catering to a wide variety of the electorate from all across the political spectrum. Sources also said they would field a presidential candidate in the next election who would be championed by voters from all walks of life.
Speaking at the parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the region would eventually have peace, and it would be “despite Israel, Israel’s provocations.”
He criticized the “massacre” network that has turned terrorism and occupation into state policy and has done everything over the past 10 days to sabotage the U.S.-Iran deal.
Erdoğan champions the Palestinian cause and led Türkiye to cut off ties with Israel after a new round of Palestine-Israel conflict broke out in 2023. Türkiye sees Israel as the main adversary in the region due to the latter’s expansionist policies, which brought conflicts to the levels of genocide in Gaza and spilled over into Syria and Lebanon. Ankara has accused the Netanyahu administration of pursuing a “promised land” ideal, especially in light of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. Israel was not a party to the recent U.S.-Iran deal to end the conflict and continued attacks in neighboring Lebanon.
The president said they managed to keep the country out of the “ring of fire” during the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. “We did not give in to Israel’s attempts to stir up new conflicts in our region,” he said.
Erdoğan emphasized that one of the riskiest conflicts since World War II had been successfully managed thanks to their policies and coordination with allies. He stated that throughout this difficult process, all institutions, especially the foreign affairs and security bureaucracy, had displayed great effort and dedication.
Explaining that they had contributed to the negotiation process between the U.S. and Iran with great care, “sometimes through back-channel diplomacy, sometimes by taking a direct stance, and at other times by intervening before disagreements escalated,” Erdoğan said: “We are now in a period that requires even greater sensitivity. We know that Israel cannot tolerate even the slightest possibility of peace. Looking at the statements they have made over the past 10 days, one can see that what stands before us is not statecraft but rather a group of radicals who have lost all sense of reason. The situation is so grave that everyone is accusing one another of killing too few people and shedding too little blood. Both the government and the opposition are constantly trying to outdo each other in advocating genocide. A frenzied crowd, competing with one another in recklessness, never wants the guns in our region to fall silent. This network of slaughter, which views its national security as dependent on the instability of everyone else, including its neighbors, and which has turned terrorism and occupation into state policy, has been doing everything in its power over the past 10 days to sabotage the agreement reached through the tremendous efforts of all parties. They will continue every kind of mischief until they achieve their goals. If peace comes to our region, it will come despite Israel. If stability is established in our region, it will be despite Israel’s provocations. No matter what this network of slaughter does, it will not be able to prevent peace, tranquility, justice, stability and prosperity from prevailing in our region, Allah willing,” he said.
“As Türkiye, we will not refrain from doing whatever falls upon us to ensure that even the slightest opportunity for peace is utilized. In the coming period, we will continue to provide every possible support to efforts aimed at achieving a lasting resolution to the Iran crisis,” Erdoğan added.
‘Chaotic’ opposition
As he praised the government’s actions for peace diplomacy, Erdoğan had an equal share of criticism for the opposition, namely the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Though he said Ankara did not care about the infighting in the fragmented CHP, he devoted a substantial part of his speech to criticize the party and warn it not to prevent Parliament from functioning.
“Chaos and turmoil reign in the opposition as our People’s Alliance stands united,” Erdoğan said.
The CHP is engaged in a bitter row over who will lead the party after Özgür Özel was relieved of duty as leader in May over a court verdict affirming that his victory in a 2023 intra-party vote was dubious, over allegations of vote-buying to defeat then incumbent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu was reinstated to his office, while Özel continues to call for another election in the party. Since the court ruled for “absolute nullification” of the Özel administration and Kılıçdaroğlu’s return, the party has been de facto divided in two. The Özel camp refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Kılıçdaroğlu administration. Özel was relegated to the post of parliamentary group chair of the CHP and insisted on holding parliamentary group meetings of the party for two weeks in a row, while Kılıçdaroğlu appears to be bowing to the pressure and instead prefers to hold party meetings at the CHP’s headquarters.
Erdoğan said the CHP was involved in “mud-wrestling” and tried to “drag them to mud as well.” Özel insists on portraying what is happening in the CHP as “an intervention” by the judiciary and the government to divide the party, and his supporters squarely blame Kılıçdaroğlu for betraying the party by accepting the job to lead the CHP.
The president said the CHP took its fight to Parliament, recalling how supporters of Özel occupied the parliamentary hall allocated for the CHP to prevent Kılıçdaroğlu supporters from entering. “They turned their backs on the one they fervently applauded. The folk hero of yesterday is now the public enemy,” he said, referring to the Özel camp’s criticism of Kılıçdaroğlu, who unsuccessfully ran against Erdoğan in the 2023 presidential elections.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday that he is likely to hold a one-on-one meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7-8.
Speaking to reporters after a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Erdoğan said a bilateral meeting with Trump was “highly likely” on the sidelines of the summit.
President Trump confirmed last week that he plans to attend the gathering in the Turkish capital, telling reporters during an event for the newly commissioned Air Force One aircraft, “I will be going to Türkiye soon.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said Trump would attend the Ankara summit, describing it as one of the most significant meetings in the alliance’s history.
The visit would mark Trump’s first official trip to Türkiye since beginning his second term in office.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for insufficient defense spending and has called for a more balanced distribution of security burdens within the alliance. His administration has argued that Europe should take a leading role in defending the continent while the United States reduces some of its long-standing military commitments.
Those debates are expected to feature prominently in Ankara.
The July 7-8 summit will be NATO’s 36th leaders’ meeting and the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye after the 2004 Istanbul summit.
Preparations are being made for the needs of the at least 6,000 people who will attend the summit.
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoBREAKING NEWS | The bribery scheme was exposed in the license and settlement investigation in the Adalar Municipality: Millions of liras in the name of donations…
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoIllegal betting and fraud operation based in Mardin: 10.4 billion lira profiteering
-
Politics3 days agoRussian strike on Turkish cargo ship kills one: Ukraine
-
Refugees2 days agoSecurity raid in Turkish capital detains 200 ahead of NATO summit
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMinister Tekin received the Ambassadors of Russia and Egypt in Ankara
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoBilal Erdoğan spoke at the award ceremony of “Digital Content Development Project with Artificial Intelligence Themed Our Prophet”
-
Politics2 days agoÖzel calls Turkish opposition leader to hold intra-party election
-
Sports3 days agoSerena’s Wimbledon return confirmed with singles wild card