President Trump and Turkish President Recep Erdogan hold a bilateral meeting in Ankara, Turkey, ahead of the beginning of the NATO summit. President Trump and President Erdogan exchanged pleasantries, appreciation and mutual respect in their introduction with the media. Video Prompted to 01:45
The first question to President Trump was about selling F-35’s to Turkey. President Trump notes the issue should not be controversial as Turkey is a NATO ally. People who are concerned about F-35 sales, should publicly explain why a NATO member should be denied an allied weapon.
President Trump also noted there is a chemistry of honesty between himself and President Erdogan. He said directly if the NATO summit were not being held in Ankara, there is a strong possibility President Trump would not have attended. This positions Erdogan with strong respect as expressed by President Trump.
Again, President Trump outlines the specifics of why the European members of NATO are no longer reliable allies. In a weird way this is the exact same long-term position of Turkey and explains the synergy between the two leaders on the issue.
