Turkey has urged NATO allies to use an upcoming summit in Ankara to reset ties with the United States and prepare for the possibility of a reduced American role in the alliance, according to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The NATO leaders summit is scheduled for July 7–8 in Ankara.
Fidan, speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency on Monday, said the Ankara summit should help establish a more predictable and structured framework for relations with US President Donald Trump, whose longstanding criticism of NATO has raised concerns among allies.
“The transatlantic security architecture has been under a major test over the past year,” Fidan said, pointing to growing tensions and uncertainty in relations between the United States and European countries.
Tensions within NATO have deepened in recent years over defense spending and geopolitical priorities, including disagreements related to the war in Ukraine and the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Fidan described the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia in February 2022, as the biggest rupture in transatlantic relations, saying it had exposed divisions between Washington and its European allies.
He said that while the United States had previously led coordinated support for Ukraine, Trump’s stance signaled a shift toward reducing direct involvement and expecting others to shoulder more of the burden.
The Turkish minister also pointed to disagreements over Iran as another source of friction, saying some European countries have resisted becoming part of US-led military actions on the country.
The US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes targeting Iranian military and government sites, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile and drone attacks on Israel as well as US assets across the Middle East.
Trump, who has criticized NATO for years, last week threatened to pull the United States out of the alliance over European members’ refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this month, more than 40 countries joined a coalition aimed at securing free passage through the strait, a critical shipping route for global energy supplies, once the most intense phase of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran ends.
Governments including the UK, Germany, Finland, Norway, France and Spain had initially said they would not deploy troops or naval forces, arguing they were not responsible for an offensive operation in Iran.
However, Trump has insisted he wants a plan within days, regardless of ongoing instability.
According to Fidan, many European countries are now considering how to ensure their security with less reliance on the United States.
“Other countries have begun to realize they must be prepared for a European security architecture without the US,” he said.
“If there is a withdrawal, there must be a clear transition plan so no member is left exposed,” he said, calling for coordination and long-term planning within the alliance.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has acknowledged US frustrations over burden-sharing, while stressing that most European allies remain committed to cooperation.
Fidan said the Ankara summit could be one of the most important in NATO’s history, offering a platform to address growing uncertainty and prevent a potential security gap within the alliance.
He added that Turkey expects Trump to attend the summit as a guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, citing what he described as Trump’s “personal respect” for the Turkish leader, although he noted the US president has shown reluctance to participate in such meetings.
US officials have also signaled that Washington is reviewing its military posture in Europe, including the possibility of reducing troop deployments, reflecting broader debates about the country’s role within NATO.
Turkey, a longtime NATO member, has said it is ready to play a more active role in shaping European security, pointing to its strategic position and military capabilities.
