President Trump Questions Allies’ Support at NATO Gathering

Trump Says Erdoğan’s Hosting Was Key Reason for His Attendance

U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered a pointed critique of fellow NATO members during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkey.

President Trump accused several major European allies of failing to provide sufficient support to the United States within the alliance, renewing his longstanding calls for greater burden sharing among NATO members.

Speaking alongside President Erdoğan, Trump also said his decision to attend the NATO summit was heavily influenced by the fact that Turkey was hosting the meeting. He described President Erdoğan as a respected leader and suggested he might not have attended had the summit been held elsewhere.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening U.S.-Turkey cooperation in defence, trade, and investment, while the broader NATO summit focuses on regional security challenges, defence priorities, and ongoing global conflicts.