Turkey expects President Donald Trump to attend a NATO summit in Ankara next month, where alliance members are expected to face renewed pressure to increase defense spending, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Fidan said Trump had indicated several times in recent phone calls with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he plans to attend the July 7-8 meeting.
Fidan said the United States remains committed to NATO, adding there are no signs Washington intends to act on past rhetoric about withdrawing from the alliance.
He said European allies have already begun increasing defense budgets in response to US pressure, and that leaders will review progress at the summit.
Fidan also said Turkey supports US-Iran talks and warned that continued regional tensions, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon, could undermine efforts to stabilize a ceasefire.
