President Donald Trump is traveling to Ankara, Turkey, to attend the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8, 2026 [1].
The visit comes at a critical juncture for the transatlantic alliance, as members grapple with frictions caused by the war in Iran and disagreements over the distribution of defense costs.
The two-day summit [2] serves as a platform for the U.S. president to push European allies toward higher defense spending. Trump is also expected to discuss U.S. arms sales totaling billions of dollars [3].
A primary point of contention involves the restoration of Turkey's access to F-35 fighter jets. While reports indicate Trump may tell Turkish officials he is ready to restore this access [4], the move faces opposition from other allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Ankara shouldn't get F-35 jets" [5].
This diplomatic effort follows a period of internal instability regarding the U.S. role in the alliance. Trump considered withdrawing from NATO three months ago [3]. Despite those tensions, the president expressed confidence in his current standing with the alliance.
"Daddy isn't going anywhere," Trump said [3].
The summit in Ankara will be the primary venue for determining how the alliance manages European security as the U.S. adjusts its level of support [6].
“"Daddy isn't going anywhere"”
The Ankara summit represents a pivot toward a transactional approach to collective security. By linking the restoration of high-tech military hardware like the F-35 to broader alliance goals and arms sales, the U.S. is signaling that future security guarantees may be more closely tied to financial contributions and specific bilateral agreements than to the traditional mutual-defense frameworks of the past.
