The close personal relationship between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appears to have played a key role in Trump's decision to attend next week's NATO summit in Ankara.
According to the Associated Press, the visit could also bring significant developments in defence cooperation between the two countries.
"I'm Going Out of Respect for Erdoğan"
Trump said his decision to attend followed a personal request from the Turkish president.
"I wouldn't go for most people. But he called me and said, 'Please, the summit is in Turkey. You have to be there.' So I'm going out of respect for President Erdoğan," Trump said last week.
The visit spares Erdoğan the political embarrassment of hosting a NATO summit without the US president at a time when Trump has repeatedly questioned America's role in the alliance.
F-35s Back on the Agenda
One of the most closely watched issues will be whether Washington moves closer to restoring Turkey's access to F-35 fighter jets.
Turkey was removed from the programme in 2019 after purchasing the Russian S-400 air defence system, which triggered US security concerns.
When asked whether he was bringing Erdoğan "a big gift" related to F-35s and F-110 fighter engines, Trump replied:
"Yeah, I'll probably do something that will make him very happy."
The State Department has already moved forward with plans for the sale of F-110 engines worth more than $700 million for Turkey's indigenous KAAN fighter jet programme.
Despite the warmer tone, opposition remains strong in Congress as long as Turkey continues to operate the S-400 system.
First US Presidential Visit Since 2015
The Trump-Erdoğan meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the summit and will mark the first visit by a US president to Turkey since Barack Obama in 2015.
Their relationship has long stood out compared with Washington's more strained ties with Ankara under former president Joe Biden, who frequently raised concerns about democratic backsliding and Turkey's relations with Russia.
Relations Continue to Improve
US-Turkey relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months.
The US Justice Department earlier dropped a major case against state-owned Halkbank, while Trump appointed close ally Tom Barrack as ambassador to Turkey.
Erdoğan and Trump also maintain regular contact on issues including Syria, Gaza and broader Middle East developments.
Turkey participated in the Board of Peace, the initiative promoted by Trump to oversee the Gaza ceasefire.
After meeting Trump at last year's NATO summit, Erdoğan described the two leaders' communication as unusually direct.
"With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish-American relations. When one calls, the other responds within a day," Erdoğan said.
