“I like Erdogan. He’s a friend of mine, and most importantly, he stayed out of the war. He could easily have gotten involved in the war with Iran—and might even have taken sides—because, as you know, he doesn’t really like Israel, as you’re well aware.And I asked him to stay out of it. And he did.” ^{Donald Trump, President of the United States}

More praise from Trump for Erdogan, to whom he feels indebted because he didn’t become the major player in Iran—thanks to Netanyahu.

And because he believes he owes him, he’s preparing gifts for the NATO summit in Ankara, which he’s announcing in advance—even in front of the Alliance’s Secretary General.

“You know, he’s a strong member of NATO. Yes, I’ll probably do something that will make him very happy. And Turkey owes him a lot. He’s a good man.” ^{Donald Trump, President of the United States}

Trump’s response came after a question from a Turkish journalist regarding the transfer of F-35 fighter jets.

However, the U.S. President is well aware that this is a highly difficult matter due to opposition from Congress.

Consequently, he decided to take a different course of action, even though this, too, sparked backlash in Washington.

He decided to proceed with the sale of dozens of engines for Turkey’s KAAAN fighter jets, worth $800 million.

Ankaya Remains Unwavering

Erdogan is expecting concessions at the NATO summit, and from the European Union, which needs him to contribute to its new defense and security strategy, in exchange for concessions on the Cyprus issue.

At present, Ankara has begun to resemble a fortress city, as Turkish security forces are determined not to allow the slightest incident during the crucial summit on July 7 and 8.

“An alert has been declared in Ankara for the NATO summit.” ^{TGRT Haber}

Security measures in the capital have been raised to the highest level. 209 suspects have been arrested in counterterrorism operations. Meetings, demonstrations, press conferences, protests, and gatherings will not be permitted. This also includes discussions, graduation ceremonies, festivals, concerts, entertainment events, and celebrations.

“In the capital, Ankara, more than 56,000 security personnel will also be on duty around the clock.” ^TVNET

An alert has been issued in the Turkish capital regarding a possible ISIS attack.The Turks claim to have killed a man who, according to reports, had ties to ISIS leaders and was allegedly planning a terrorist attack ahead of the major NATO summit.

Approximately 3,000 journalists, television crews, photojournalists, and representatives of digital and international media outlets have applied to cover the Summit, which will be attended by the heads of state and government of the Alliance’s 32 member states, invited leaders, approximately 100 ministers, and hundreds of senior diplomats and representatives of international organizations.

Watch the report by Giorgos Georgiadis