U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, reaffirming the close relationship between their countries and outlining priorities for future cooperation. During their joint appearance, the leaders addressed a wide range of issues, including potential F-35 sales to Turkey, defense ties, NATO’s role, the conflict involving Iran, efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions, trade, and broader regional security challenges before taking questions from the media.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:
First, on the occasion of the NATO Summit, I would like to warmly welcome my valuable friend, President Trump. His participation has added strength to this summit. We are gathered here today for the NATO Ankara Summit, and the presence of President Trump makes this meeting even more significant. Once again, welcome, Mr. President.
President Donald Trump:
Thank you very much.
As everybody knows, we’ve been great friends. The President has done an incredible job. Just landing at the airport and seeing such a beautiful airport—and even having a building named after me—I was very happy about that.
The airport is absolutely beautiful. The roads coming in were brand new and beautiful.
You’ve been a great leader and a respected leader all over the world. Right from the beginning, we’ve had good chemistry and a very special relationship.
Turkey has become, under President Erdoğan, a very powerful country militarily. People don’t realize just how powerful it is. They have a lot of our equipment, great soldiers, and they’re really somebody to be reckoned with.
Because of the relationship we have, everything has gone very well.
Today we’ll be talking about trade, the military, and many other issues. We’ll probably discuss Iran, where we’ve essentially decimated their military. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.
We do a lot of trade with Turkey. We make great things, they make great things, and it’s had a very big impact on both of our countries.
It’s an honor to be with you. We’ll have good meetings, good dinners, good food, and most importantly, we’ll do good things for our countries.
Thank you very much.
Q&A Session
Reporter:
Mr. President, are you going to sell F-35s to Turkey? And what about the legal restrictions?
President Trump:
It’s a decision we’re going to make.
We have a very good relationship. Many people—including those sitting right here—wonder why we wouldn’t do that.
Turkey has been, in many ways, much more loyal than some countries we expected would be loyal.
So yes, it’s certainly something we would consider. It’s a great plane—the best plane by far.
Reporter (Daniel):
What makes your relationship with President Erdoğan so special?
President Trump:
You never know why a relationship is special.
Some people you get along with, some you don’t.
Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him. Sometimes you don’t get along with the weakest, most pathetic people.
From the day we met, we got along.
I remember Pastor Brunson. It was a very traumatic situation. He had been sentenced to a long prison term, and I believed he was innocent.
Others called and got nowhere. I called President Erdoğan, and he released him immediately.
The evangelical community will never forget that.
Since then, things have always worked out between us. It’s simply a chemistry that works.
Reporter:
Are further troop drawdowns in Europe likely? And are you satisfied with NATO allies’ progress?
President Trump:
We’ll see.
Frankly, if this summit weren’t being held in Turkey—where my friend is such a strong leader—it’s possible I wouldn’t have attended.
I was disappointed with NATO.
When we acted in Iran, before I even asked for help, they said they wouldn’t be there.
We’ve invested trillions of dollars protecting Europe, Canada, and others.
Yet when we needed support, countries like the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and France turned us down.
I don’t need their help now, but I was testing whether they’d stand with us.
We’ve always been there for them.
Reporter:
Do you still have concerns about Turkey’s Russian missile defense system?
President Trump:
I have no concerns at all.
President Erdoğan has made Turkey a much stronger and more powerful country.
Our relationship with Turkey is probably better now than it’s ever been.
Reporter:
Should we expect further U.S.-Turkey defense cooperation after this summit?
President Trump:
We’ll find out during our meetings.
I’ve been doing this for a long time.
We’ve had probably the best year any American president has ever had economically.
We’ve attracted $19.2 trillion in investment into the United States.
Toyota is moving one of its biggest truck and car plants from Mexico to the U.S.
That’s what tariffs do when they’re used properly.
Turkey also happens to be one of the countries with which we have a great trade relationship.
Reporter:
What about maintaining Turkish aircraft purchased from the United States?
President Trump:
When Turkey buys planes from us, I believe we have an obligation to maintain them.
If engines need repairs, upgrades, or rehabilitation, we should help.
What are we going to do—tell them we’re not going to service equipment they paid for?
Turkey has been a great ally.
They know Iran very well. They could have entered the conflict, but they didn’t.
They’ve been very helpful, including efforts to end the conflict with Iran.
I’m certain President Erdoğan doesn’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon either.
Reporter:
Will you meet President Putin tomorrow?
President Trump:
Yes.
I had a very good conversation with President Putin yesterday.
He has a lot of respect for President Erdoğan.
Afterward, I also spoke with President Zelenskyy.
I believe both of them now want to make a deal.
President Erdoğan is helping us.
I’ve settled eight wars, and I think we’re going to settle another one.
Last month, 35,000 people—mostly soldiers—died.
That’s crazy.
President Trump (on sanctions):
We’re going to be taking the sanctions off.
We’re working closely with Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, Pete Hegseth, and others.
It’s time.
We don’t want to sanction friends.
Because of President Erdoğan, we also have a very good relationship with Syria’s new leader.
He’s done an amazing job pulling the country together.
President Erdoğan and I both supported him.
Reporter:
Yesterday you criticized Prime Minister Meloni. Has your relationship changed?
President Trump:
I actually like her.
But I wasn’t happy because she refused to support us regarding Iran.
That affected our relationship.
Italy gets a lot of its oil from the region.
The United States doesn’t need it—we have plenty of oil.
She simply wasn’t there for us.
Reporter:
Did President Putin seem open to concessions on Ukraine?
President Trump:
He hasn’t changed.
I just want the killing to stop.
Last month alone, 35,000 people died.
It’s a drone war now—a completely new kind of warfare.
I’ve seen pictures of the battlefields.
It’s carnage.
I get along well with both Putin and Zelenskyy, and I think we’re going to get it settled.
President Erdoğan is helping us with that, just as he’s helping with Iran.
President Trump (on Greenland and NATO):
Greenland is strategically important.
It’s surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships.
In my view, it should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark.
We spend enormous amounts protecting Europe.
Europe today is very different from what it was 20 years ago.
They also need to be careful about immigration and energy.
If they’re not, you’re not going to have the Europe you know today.
President Trump:
Thank you very much, everybody.
