US President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are gathering in Turkey on Tuesday for a two-day summit that comes at a turning point in the defense of Europe. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Ahead of the summit, protests took place in Ankara and Istanbul. On July 5, protesters in Istanbul held signs reading "killer USA" and "killer Nato out." In Ankara, supporters of the People's Liberation Party demonstrated against NATO, with police holding up shields.
President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on June 24. That same day, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a press conference at the E5 NATO Summit in Berlin.
Key issues at the summit include the reduction of US military presence in Europe and increased defense spending by European allies. The Trump administration is pushing NATO members to meet the 2% GDP defense spending target, demanding that Europeans take more responsibility for their own security.
The summit is also expected to discuss Turkey's role in regional security, the Iran issue, and strengthening NATO's eastern flank.