Trump arrives in Ankara to meet Erdogan ahead of NATO summit

President of the United States Donald Trump arrived in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday (7/7) for the NATO summit and was greeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After landing at around 13:51 local time, Trump was scheduled to hold bilateral talks at the presidential complex before attending a formal dinner for NATO leaders ahead of the main session on Wednesday (8/7). During his arrival, Trump delivered sharp criticism of European allies, saying they were unwilling to send warships to support U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict with Iran. Erdogan said in the meeting that Turkey was working to stabilize Iran-U.S. relations. The two-day NATO summit is also overshadowed by pressure to raise defense spending, one year after alliance members pledged to increase security outlays to 5 percent of GDP.