ANKARA – U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Ankara on Tuesday to attend a high-stakes two-day NATO summit which could be overshadowed by differences over defence spending and the war in Iran.
Trump descended from Air Force One, a plane that had been gifted to him by Qatar, after it touched down at the Etimesgut air base, according to live footage broadcast online.
He was greeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the foot of the stairs.
Erdoğan, who is known to get along well with Trump, chatted with the U.S. president as the two leaders walked along a blue carpet laid out for Trump’s arrival, briefly taking him by the arm.
Trump then greeted some soldiers in Turkish, drawing applause from Erdoğan, before the pair disappeared inside an airport building.
The summit came amid frictions between European NATO allies and Trump, who has long demanded that they increase defence spending and take on more responsibility for the continent’s security.
Trump has also been angered by some allies’ criticism of his war on Iran, as well as what he has slammed as a lack of support for the operation launched alongside Israel. (dpa/NAN)
