Turkey pushes NATO to reset Trump ties at July summit
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Turkey urged NATO allies to use the July 7‑8 summit in Ankara to reset ties with U.S. President Donald Trump and prepare for a possible reduction in U.S. involvement.
- Hakan Fidan said Turkey believes Trump will attend the summit because of personal respect for President Tayyip Erdogan, while noting Trump's overall reluctance to travel.
- Donald Trump threatened to pull the United States out of NATO after European members refused to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran.
- Fidan told Anadolu that NATO allies had long viewed Trump's criticisms as rhetoric but are now planning for a possible U.S. withdrawal and boosting their own defensive capacities.
- Mark Rutte said he understood Trump's frustrations with NATO, but emphasized that the large majority of European nations have supported Washington's war effort in Iran.
- White House official told Reuters that Trump had also considered removing some U.S. troops from Europe.
Why it matters: With Turkey urging NATO to formalise a contingency plan for a possible U.S. pullback, European allies and Turkey stand to shoulder greater defence responsibilities while the United States could see its influence in the alliance wane if withdrawals materialise in the security architecture.
