ANKARA, Türkiye: Erdogan, Trump, NATO ties could help ease alliance tensions during this week’s Ankara summit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
Fidan made the comments in an interview with The New York Times.
He said Türkiye would seek to use the “warm relationship” between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump for the benefit of the NATO alliance.
Fidan said the relationship was based on trust and friendship and could help bridge differences inside the 32-member alliance.
NATO leaders will meet in Ankara on Tuesday for talks on transatlantic security, defence spending and regional challenges.
Fidan said technical discussions should proceed smoothly despite Trump’s criticism of NATO and pressure on allies over military spending.
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He said Türkiye and European countries agreed on the importance of the alliance.
Fidan criticised proposals to deepen European Union defence cooperation outside NATO structures, calling them a structural problem inside the alliance.
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He also said the recent 60-day US-Iran memorandum left major issues for later talks, including Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and rules on the Strait of Hormuz.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan said Türkiye was ready to facilitate new peace talks but did not expect immediate negotiations.
