The 36th leaders’ summit of the NATO war organisation has concluded. The most significant image to emerge from the summit on behalf of the Palace regime was the praise heaped upon it by US President Trump, alongside the hypocrisy of political Islamism.

Whilst the Palace regime implemented a de facto state of emergency in the country for the imperialists who have turned every corner of the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, into a bloodbath, nearly a thousand citizens faced detention and arrest at the end of the summit.

Citizens who took to the streets in defence of the country’s independence found themselves facing the police across the country.

Speaking on the final day of the summit, AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan also stated that he was committed to placing the country’s land forces at the service of the NATO alliance.

Ignoring the poverty and deepening economic crisis in the country, Erdoğan said, “As Türkiye we have taken measures to raise the proportion of our defence spending to 5 per cent by 2030.”

Trump’s remarks, made during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at Beştepe, provided the most concise summary of the kind of world the imperialists desire following the summit.

Trump first spoke about Iran, regarding which Erdoğan had also said, “We are satisfied with the solutions.” Stating that the ceasefire had ended, Trump announced that they had attacked Iran again the previous night, adding, “They will not be able to possess nuclear weapons.”

ERDOĞAN’S TIE TO TRUMP

The fundamental factor underlying this list, which Trump outlined by referring to those he ‘likes’ and those he ‘does not like’, is linked to the future direction of the Summit, which is regarded as ‘NATO 3.0’. All leaders who support the imperialists’ war policies and unconditionally accept every task assigned within the framework of the US and NATO will be among Trump’s favourites.

The string of compliments Trump has heaped upon AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan is therefore no coincidence. Messages such as ‘we will increase military spending’ and ‘we are satisfied with the lines drawn by the US’—in response to Trump, who recalled having secured Pastor Brunson’s release with a single phone call and emphasised Türkiye’s military power—reveal the Palace regime’s dependence on the imperialists.

THE REGIME’S HYPOCRISY

The hypocrisy of the political Islamist regime is all the more evident. Unable to go beyond issuing statements of condemnation in the face of the massacre in Palestine, and unable to cut off trade with Israel, the ruling party and its supporters have now resorted to declarations of affection for the US.

Whilst the rapprochement between Trump and Erdoğan was laid bare before the global public throughout the summit, pro-government media outlets presented the praise received from the US as great news.

Whilst Trump’s announcement that he would lift the CAATSA sanctions made headlines in pro-government newspapers, it was emphasised that Türkiye had secured what it wanted from the summit, that the F-35s would be delivered to the country, and that all of this had been achieved thanks to the friendship Erdoğan had established with Trump.

I LOVE ERDOĞAN AND BIBI

Continuing his speech by referring to the countries and leaders he likes and dislikes, Trump remarked on Iran: “They’ve been causing trouble for 47 years. I don’t like them.”

“I like some leaders, I don’t like others,” said Trump. His list is as follows: I like Erdoğan, for example – he rolled out the red carpet. They haven’t treated the US fairly for years. I like Erdoğan – he rolled out the red carpet – and I like Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu) too. He’s a proper war prime minister. He said some nasty things about Türkiye yesterday. I spoke to Erdoğan. He could have gone to war; you know he doesn’t like Israel or Bibi, but he didn’t declare war for my sake.

I DON’T LIKE SPAIN

I’m not happy with NATO’s stance on Greenland. We don’t need NATO’s help for Greenland. I’ve spoken to Germany, the UK, Italy and France, but Spain – I haven’t spoken to them; Spain is a waste of time. They’ve been a terrible ally in NATO. They don’t participate in anything. Let’s cut all ties with them. We won’t trade with them in any way.

I LIKE PRESIDENT XI TOO

Türkiye is very powerful; they have our best equipment and will be acquiring the F-35s. I spoke to President Xi and told him, ‘You won’t go to war.’ They’re getting oil from the Strait of Hormuz. They didn’t go to war either. I like President Xi too. I’m explaining on TikTok just how bad communism is, but I’m number one.

THE FUTURE OF NATO AND TÜRKİYE’S ROLE

Political scientist Cangül Örnek assessed the potential outcomes of the summit.

“This summit has two main agenda items. If we overlook these, amidst all this protocol and fanfare, we’re actually missing the discussions about where NATO is heading and what role Türkiye will play in this,” said Örnek. “By ‘two agenda items’, I mean the following: the first is China’s rise.

In other words, halting China’s rise as a rival to growing US hegemony. This, of course, has direct implications for the region we are in. Steps are currently being taken in this direction across the region stretching from Russia to the Middle East, and Türkiye is being drawn into these steps. Secondly, a major agenda of militarisation and rearmament has been set in motion worldwide. We are seeing the arms industry, particularly in Europe, attracting more investment. In this respect too, Türkiye, through its own investments in the arms industry, is one of the key pillars of this emerging militarisation. Now, without discussing these two issues – that is, why exactly this summit has been organised, what decisions it aims to make, and what new roles these decisions will actually assign to Türkiye? Without discussing these issues, we are expected to focus solely on the receptions, the proceedings at the ceremony, the leaders’ attire, and the gestures they exchange. It is only natural that these attract attention.

Because the kinds of attitudes and behaviours we have witnessed – or rather, are witnessing – here in Istanbul, and which have left us astonished as to how they are being displayed, are in fact what we are currently seeing at the NATO summit in Ankara. We are witnessing an exaggerated, and in fact deeply humiliating, process – such as projecting images onto walls and utility boxes, or welcoming leaders with troops on horseback. So, on the one hand, it is natural that all this ceremony attracts attention. The reaction to it is also natural. But the essence of the matter is increasingly being left in the dark.

CRITICAL ISSUES ARE BEING SIDELINED

Yet at this summit, for instance, it was said that an international force would be deployed in the Bosphorus. Reports emerged suggesting this would be directly under the NATO umbrella and deployed by NATO’s decision. Will a decision be taken in this regard, or not? The establishment of a NATO corps in Diyarbakır and Türkiye serving as a military base for NATO operations in the region were on the agenda.

Will a decision be taken in this regard, or not? In fact, there are very critical issues on the table, but the situation has been turned into such a thing that this entire process has become a sort of colonial country’s attempt to assert itself and prove itself to the colonisers; we are actually being reduced to a state where we cannot discuss a number of very serious issues.

ERDOĞAN IS THINKING ABOUT HIS GOVERNMENT

In conclusion, as far as I can see, the AKP government is attempting to derive legitimacy for the continuation of its rule from this fanfare, this exaggerated ceremonial display, and the very topics under discussion. In other words, there is also a domestic political dimension to this. Türkiye appears to be being drawn into a situation of significant military dependence on very serious issues. Moreover, the fact that Western leaders are flocking to a country where politics is conducted under such heavy pressure, and that Erdoğan is being praised here, is also crucial for securing the international legitimacy of this entire process for the government. That is why I believe we need to place greater emphasis on these aspects of the matter.

THE S-400 IMPASSE

Following Trump’s announcement that the F-35s would be delivered, attention has shifted to the Russian-made S-400 air defence systems. One of the options on the table in Ankara is the relocation of the S-400 systems outside Türkiye. It has been reported that the option of sending the systems to the United Arab Emirates and deploying them in Dubai is being considered.

IN ANKARA IN THE SHADOW OF NATO

Abu Muhammad al-Colani (Ahmed al-Shara), leader of the jihadist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), arrived in Ankara to attend the 36th NATO Leaders’ Summit. Al-Jolani’s plane landed at Esenboğa Airport. He was met at the airport by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and other officials.

ARMS MARKET AT THE NATO SUMMIT

Allies seeking to satisfy Trump signed arms deals worth 50 billion dollars at the Defence Forum. Numerous contracts were signed covering air defence systems, solutions to be developed against unmanned aerial vehicles, joint production projects, strategic transport capabilities and investments in advanced technology.

MORE INVESTMENT, MORE WEAPONS

The final communiqué of the NATO summit held in Ankara has been released. The key points highlighted in the communiqué are as follows:

In response to Russia’s long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability and the persistent threat of terrorism, the Allies are implementing the Hague Defence Pledge. Allies in Europe, together with Canada, have increased their investment in core defence requirements to over 139 billion dollars by 2025. These investments not only provide us with the capabilities we need but also strengthen our defence industry and our resilience.Today in Ankara, we are announcing new defence purchases worth over 50 billion dollars; we are committed to increasing joint production capacity and accelerating innovation by working alongside industry. We will continue to remove barriers to defence trade amongst Allies and maximise cooperation and production capacity within the defence industry by utilising NATO partnerships.Allies in Europe, together with Canada and the United States, are taking on greater responsibility for the Alliance’s defence. NATO’s deterrence and defence rely on a balanced combination of nuclear, conventional and missile defence capabilities, supported by space and cyber capabilities.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Trump’ın tüm sevdiklerine görev düştü: Para ver, savaşı destekle ABD’ye kusursuz biat et, published in BirGün newspaper on July 9, 2026.