Erdogan’s Secret Summit Talks: Can He Stop Trump from Sabotaging NATO?
As NATO leaders gather in Ankara this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding secret talks with the alliance’s chief to finalize the summit agenda—while Washington calls the meeting the most important in NATO history and promises an unknown surprise.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen will lead a bipartisan group of lawmakers to the summit, where they will attend the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum and hold meetings with heads of state to strengthen alliance ties and discuss shared security goals [190384]. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also attend the NATO summit, followed by a visit to Saudi Arabia for trade talks [185712].
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held talks in Ankara on Wednesday to align priorities and address security concerns ahead of the summit [190390]. A separate closed-door meeting between Erdogan and Stoltenberg took place at the Presidential Complex on Tuesday, with no details released to the public [190391].
A promotional video for the 2026 NATO Summit highlights Türkiye’s geostrategic position and defense industry, emphasizing the Turkish capital’s historical and cultural landmarks [190373]. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz described the upcoming summit as a “historic gathering” focused on strengthening the alliance’s deterrence, saying the meeting will examine defense efforts “from a 360-degree perspective” and evaluate steps to increase defense investments [190383].
European leaders expect a routine meeting, but the United States is sending a different signal, calling it the most important summit in NATO history and promising an unknown surprise as the final highlight [190601]. President Erdogan faces a key test: keeping Donald Trump in a good mood to stop him from damaging the defense alliance. “Erdogan suddenly serves as both a Trump-whisperer and a Putin-whisperer,” says Turkey expert Paul Levin, highlighting Erdogan’s delicate role as he must balance his ties with the U.S. and Russia [190654].
Ahead of the summit, Polish sources say discussions are focusing on the rotational deployment of U.S. forces and the creation of a permanent military base in Poland. The United States is expected to send additional troops to the country as part of ongoing negotiations, though no final agreement has been reached [190374].