Turkey will try to use the close relationship between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump to help bridge divisions inside NATO during this week’s summit in Ankara, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told The New York Times.
The 32 members of NATO are set to gather on Tuesday in the Turkish capital for a summit that comes at a time of strain over the future of the alliance, US security commitments to Europe and the war in the Middle East.
Trump has threatened to reduce the US role in NATO or withdraw from the alliance, alarming European members that depend on Washington for security against Russia. He has also accused some NATO allies of disloyalty for opposing the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Despite his criticism of other NATO leaders, Trump has maintained close ties with Erdoğan, calling him a friend and a great leader.
Fidan told the newspaper that Erdoğan’s ties with Trump could help reduce tensions inside the alliance, adding that Turkey wanted to use that relationship for the benefit of NATO as a whole.
Fidan, 57, has served as foreign minister since 2023 after heading Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT). He has become one of Erdoğan’s main foreign policy figures on Syria, Gaza, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.
Defense spending and Trump’s threats
Much of the Ankara summit is expected to focus on military budgets, with NATO members under pressure to show progress toward spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense.
Fidan voiced confidence that those discussions would move forward despite Trump’s criticism of NATO, saying the alliance’s military presence would not change in practice.
He also argued that NATO members still agree on the alliance’s importance.
“Nobody is discussing the necessity of NATO,” Fidan said.
Trump’s threats have raised concern among some NATO officials that Washington might not honor Article 5, the alliance’s mutual defense clause, if Russia were to attack a European member.
Fidan pushes back against European defense plans
Trump’s warnings have led European governments to discuss ways to strengthen their own defense, including through the European Union or other formats.
Fidan criticized such plans, calling them a structural problem for NATO and arguing that EU defense efforts could conflict with European countries’ commitments to the alliance.
He urged Turkey and Europe to see each other as part of the same security system, saying Europe would not feel secure unless it included Turkey in its defense planning.
Turkey has long argued that it is vital to NATO because of its geography, military capacity and borders with regions affected by war, migration and energy disputes. Ankara has also had disputes with allies over issues including Syria policy, sanctions, arms sales and its purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Iran and Ukraine
Fidan also discussed Iran and Ukraine in the interview.
Turkey has sought a role in diplomacy aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Fidan expressed cautious optimism about a 60-day memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran last month, while noting that major issues remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions and rules governing the Strait of Hormuz.
Fidan also said Turkey was ready to help facilitate new talks to end the war in Ukraine but did not expect them soon.
He recently visited Russia and met with senior officials, including President Vladimir Putin. Fidan said Moscow appeared ready for discussions but added that any progress would require pressure and involvement from Washington.
“We need American leverage,” Fidan said.