04.07.2026 07:50
US President Trump, who will land in Ankara with a massive team of a thousand people for the NATO Summit, will first visit Anıtkabir in the capital. After this visit, Trump will proceed to Beştepe for a critical meeting with President Erdoğan.
The countdown has begun for the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, which the capital Ankara is preparing with top-level security measures. Leaders from 32 countries, including US President Donald Trump, will attend the major organization to be held on July 7-8. Details of Trump's Ankara program, the most anticipated figure of the summit, have also started to emerge.
According to information reported by the Reuters news agency, US President Trump will land in Ankara on July 7 for both the summit and bilateral meetings. An accompanying delegation of approximately one thousand people will arrive in the capital days in advance to complete preparations. Special agents and field teams responsible for the US leader's security and logistics will station in Ankara before Trump arrives, meticulously planning the routes, security perimeters, and convoy order down to the millimeter.
FIRST STOP: ANITKABIR
The US President will begin his engagements in Ankara by visiting Anitkabir and then proceed to the Presidential Complex. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will host his counterpart with an official ceremony at Bestepe. Mounted troops will accompany Trump's official vehicle along the entrance route to the Complex.
KEY ISSUES ON THE TABLE
After the official welcome ceremony, the leaders will first hold a tête-à-tête meeting, followed by inter-delegation talks. The critical summit's agenda will include vital matters such as the sale of F-110 engines to be procured for Turkey's national combat aircraft KAAN, Ankara's re-inclusion in the F-35 project, and the latest developments in Syria and Gaza. Upon completion of the meetings, Erdogan and Trump are expected to sign various memorandums of understanding and appear before the cameras.
The delegation accompanying Trump will include senior civilian and military officials from the US Department of Defense and those responsible for NATO. Meanwhile, the schedule for the Defense Industry Forum, to be held in Ankara parallel to the summit, has also been finalized. National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will open the forum, hosted by ATO Congresium on the first day of the summit. At the event, which will feature aviation and space giants such as Sweden's Saab, Europe's Airbus, and America's Northrop Grumman, as well as Turkish defense industry companies, new collaborations between firms will be discussed and strategic agreements will be signed. The forum is planned to continue until late at night.
TRUMP CONTINUES NATO CRITICISMS
Ahead of the summit, Trump once again brought up his classic criticisms that the US single-handedly shoulders the financial burden within NATO. Piling on his allies through social media platforms, the US President harshly criticized both the Alliance's budget distribution and members' attitudes during the Iran war. Stating that the US made a massive expenditure of $999 billion between 2014 and 2025, Trump listed contributions from the UK, France, Italy, and Poland, while arguing that the budget shares of Germany and some other countries remained "too low." In another post, Trump noted: "With no reciprocal relationship in sight, it's complete nonsense for the US to continue moving alone on this unilateral path. They didn't stand by us!"