International media on Thursday gave broad coverage to the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, highlighting Türkiye’s growing strategic importance, expanding defence industry, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s diplomatic role amid a changing security environment.
The New York Times said the wars in Ukraine and Iran, along with US President Donald Trump’s January 2025 return to the White House, had increased Türkiye’s value among its NATO allies.
The newspaper said Türkiye is seen as critical to the alliance’s future because of its growing defence industry and its army, NATO’s second largest after the US. It also reported that Trump said explicitly that he agreed to attend the summit because Erdogan was hosting it.
Politico said there was “one clear winner” at the end of the NATO summit, describing Erdogan as an effective negotiator and leader in the domestic defence industry.
The web outlet also said leaders praised Erdogan’s ability to keep Trump engaged in discussions on NATO’s future, while Trump said relations with Türkiye were “probably better than ever.”
Defence-focused outlet Defence24 said Europe cannot build a credible security architecture without Türkiye.
It said Türkiye’s second-largest army in NATO and expanding defence industry make it indispensable, adding that the Ankara summit provided a strategic showcase for the country’s defence production capacity.
German media focus on Türkiye’s growing influence
In its coverage of the Ankara summit, German daily Die Welt asked, “Is Türkiye a new power factor?” and reported Trump’s remarks that he attended the event because of Erdogan.
It also said Erdogan was among the few leaders with whom Trump has maintained a strong personal relationship for years.
Süddeutsche Zeitung described the Ankara meeting as a critical summit for NATO and said European countries sought to demonstrate the alliance’s strength by presenting new defence investments.
Tagesschau said Erdogan gained prestige even before the summit began, reporting that Trump wanted to come to Ankara and describing Türkiye as an indispensable regional power boasting NATO’s second-largest army.
Wirtschaftswoche reported that Erdogan gave Trump a grand welcome in a warm atmosphere and said Trump attended the NATO summit in Türkiye solely because of Erdogan.
Greek media highlights remarks on F-35 fighter jets
Greek media focused on Trump’s remarks signalling support for the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye and the removal of CAATSA sanctions.
News website in.gr said Türkiye’s strategic importance had increased significantly and could no longer be ignored. It also described Trump’s reception by Erdogan in Ankara as impressive and highlighted Trump’s praise for the Turkish president.
The report argued that Türkiye had won the battle for first impressions but was still seeking a firm timetable for receiving the F-35s, which it paid for several years ago.
Kathimerini, under the headline “Praise and promises for the F-35,” highlighted Trump’s comments on the aircraft and CAATSA sanctions, saying he praised Türkiye and Erdogan and described Türkiye as a more loyal friend than other countries.
SKAI TV said Erdogan emerged as the biggest winner of the NATO summit, arguing that he used the gathering to strengthen Türkiye’s international standing and revive the F-35 issue.
