We are going through unprecedented days in Turkish diplomatic and defense history. The capital is hosting a series of meetings that could be called a 'Summit within a Summit.' Today, we will witness the 'New Horizons in Turkish-American Relations Summit.' President Tayyip Erdoğan will host U.S. President Donald Trump. For the first time in 17 years, an American president will come to Ankara.
The two countries will give new meaning and renewed importance to the concept of 'strategic partnership,' which had been hollowed out by the 'Deep State' over the past years. Let us not forget! Trump is quite resentful, even angry, with NATO's European allies. As he has openly stated, he decided to attend the summit for the sake of President Erdoğan.
Again, thanks to Erdoğan's 'leader diplomacy,' he transformed his participation in the NATO session first into an official visit to Turkey. At the NATO Ankara Summit taking place tomorrow, President Erdoğan has a major task. More precisely, the leading European countries expect Erdoğan to convince President Trump, so to speak, to rein him in, lest there be any doubts about NATO's future.
Erdoğan is planning to gift 'custom-made pistols' to NATO leaders. In international relations and cultural protocol, gifting pistols to statesmen symbolizes 'power, alliance, loyalty and mutual respect.' Naturally, this gift choice, understood to be the product of the sharp minds of the Presidential Complex's staff, befits the significance of the day.
*** Here, it is necessary to open a separate parenthesis for President Trump's Turkey program. Because the 'direct line of communication between Erdoğan and Trump' has resolved two issues of critical importance for Ankara recently. First, the Syria-YPG problem, on a scale of national survival, has been set on a path to resolution. While Syria's political sovereignty and territorial integrity are secured, Turkey's security concerns have also been largely addressed.
Thanks to the unique Erdoğan-Trump dialogue, the Halkbank case, which had been a headache for Turkey, was closed at almost zero cost. Now, the next step is the procurement of F-110 engines from the U.S. for the KAAN fighter jets. Essentially, this is also a temporary formula. Until Turkey transitions from the development stage of its national engine to mass production, it is possible to adapt these engines, used in F-16s, to the KAAN.
Indeed, successful results were also obtained from the first prototype of the KAAN. In addition, the delivery of the F-35 aircraft produced for the Turkish Air Force is an indisputable necessity. And finally, Ankara's declaration of will for Turkey to be removed from the scope of the U.S. Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) will herald a new era.
Thus, a window of opportunity may open for the 'Gaza Peace Plan, the Search for a Russia-Ukraine Agreement, and the Regional Ownership Project in the Middle East.' The topics of 'preserving the peaceful status quo in the Black Sea, building Europe's security architecture, and fair sharing of hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean' will also reinforce Turkey's central position. *** On this occasion, I would like to touch on two more matters.
First, the 'Spousal Diplomacy.' The program organized by President Erdoğan's wife, Emine Erdoğan, at the Çankaya Mansion is very impressive in both its humanitarian and cultural and artistic aspects. The idea of holding a roundtable meeting with the spouses of the heads of state and government visiting our country on the sidelines of the summit, themed 'Children, Technology and Security: Protecting Future Generations,' carries a universal message in itself.
The First Lady will also offer her guests the finest gastronomic delights of Turkish cuisine. Special woven tablecloths reflecting Turkish embroidery art and culture will be laid on the dining tables. The spouses of the leaders will also have the opportunity to closely examine fabrics, weavings and handcraft collections that carry the visual memory of Mesopotamian, Anatolian, Ottoman and Turkish states. Second... the performance in media organization.
As a journalist who has covered NATO, G-20, UN, IMF-World Bank, and EU Summits, it is a duty for us to emphasize that the International Media Center set up at the Nation's Library in the Presidential Complex is commendable. A unique standard has been established with its working environment, press conference rooms, broadcast points, examples of Turkish hospitality, and food service.
The impression I got from the foreign press was that NATO Summits should henceforth be held only in Turkey. On this occasion, let us thank Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and his team. Hopefully, this success will continue over the next two days and the Summit will bring blessings for Turkey's interests.
