U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, today, July 7. He will participate in the NATO summit to be held in the country. The Anadolu Agency reported this.
According to reports, Trump was personally greeted at Ankara airport by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. After a brief conversation between the two leaders, the U.S. President also greeted Turkish soldiers standing in an honorary guard line.
It was noted that Trump addressed the soldiers in Turkish, saying "Merhaba, asker!" ("Hello, soldier!").
According to the White House press service, the welcoming ceremony was also attended by U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, General Dan Caine.
Trump's visit to Ankara comes at a time when relations between Washington and NATO have entered a complicated phase. The U.S. President has in recent months repeatedly criticized allied countries over the issue of increasing defense spending.
Earlier, NATO leadership had presented several billion dollars worth of new defense projects. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that these funds would serve to strengthen security, calling them "money well spent."
