Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan not to seat her next to US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit. This was reported by Haberler.
According to the publication, during the 36th NATO summit taking place in Ankara, Meloni appealed to the host side regarding the protocol seating at official events. Her request was aimed at not standing in the same row as Trump.
It is noted that this was due to the strained relations that have recently emerged between the two politicians. In particular, on the eve of the summit, Donald Trump left a post on social media about Giorgia Meloni, using the phrase "an order is needed to exclude her."
According to Haberler's interpretation, Meloni's request was made with the aim of preventing a new conflict during the official photo ceremony.
During the group photo with summit participants, the seating arrangement of the leaders also attracted the attention of journalists. Giorgia Meloni was seated next to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, while Donald Trump stood at a considerable distance from her.
Let us recall that earlier Donald Trump claimed that Giorgia Meloni had "begged" him for a photo during the G7 summit. The Italian Prime Minister, however, denied these allegations, calling them "fabrications."
Following this conflict, reports spread that Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had canceled his planned visit to the United States. Trump also indicated that he did not wish to be friends with Meloni any longer.
