A guard of honor, a warm hug and a shared photo: Trump arrived in Turkey ahead of a summit

The President of the United States Donald Trump landed in Ankara today (Tuesday), where he was received by the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan with a presidential honor guard. The two hugged on the plane’s lap, walked side by side in front of the cameras and displayed an unusual closeness at the entrance to the summit. At the beginning of their meeting, Trump complimented his host, praised Turkey and even said that if the summit had not been held in a country headed by a “friend of his” – he might not have come. Trump made it clear that the US will consider renewing the F35 aircraft deal to Turkey.

“It’s a decision we’ll have to make,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of selling F35s to Turkey. “A lot of people, including those sitting here, think: why don’t we do it? It’s definitely something we’ll consider.” Trump added that Turkey was “more loyal than other countries,” and called the F35 the “best plane in the world.”

The President of Turkey also addressed the issue and said that the talks about the purchase of the planes are not new. According to him, Turkey has already discussed the issue with the United States in the past, and was even promised that it would receive five F35 aircraft.

During the opening statement, Trump heaped praise on Erdogan and the relations between the countries. “We are great friends. Erdogan did a great job,” he said. “You are a great leader, you are respected all over the world. We have a special relationship.” Trump added that the meeting will discuss, among other things, trade, security issues, Israel and Iran. “We will have many good meetings, good food, and we will do good things for our countries,” he said.

The pictures from Ankara come against the backdrop of growing concern in Jerusalem that the US president will give Erdogan “candy” in the form of a renewal of the stealth aircraft deal. The security establishment warns that the F35 aircraft in Turkey’s hands could damage the air superiority of the IDF and make it difficult for Israel to operate freely in Iran, Syria and Lebanon in the future.

In Jerusalem, they have been working behind the scenes for some time to prevent the renewal of the deal, with the understanding that the strained relations with Ankara and Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric towards Israel make the issue strategically significant for the security establishment.