Erdogan stages Trump’s participation in the NATO summit with pomp

Controversial host

Erdogan stages Trump’s participation in the NATO summit with pomp

Turkey hosting the NATO summit is controversial. Your head of state Erdogan gives US President Trump a brilliant reception. For critics, however, the outlook is bleak.

Cannon shots, a cavalry squadron and fighter jets thundering over the presidential palace and painting the colors of the US flag in the air: the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepares US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in Ankara a pompous reception. And only for him: such a greeting is not planned for the other summit guests.

Erdogan leaves no doubt about how important this guest is to him. The greeting seems warm, Trump puts a friendly hand on Erdogan’s shoulder. The visit of the US President gives the Türkiye additional strength, Erdogan says later, before the two heads of state withdraw for a one-on-one meeting.

The location of the summit on the grounds of the magnificent presidential palace in Ankara and the spectacular reception could be exactly to Trump’s taste. He also emphasized the close relations: “We are good friends,” he says and once again praises the host country for the loyalty it receives from other allies USA distinguish. Even in the run-up to the summit, Trump had suggested that he would only come to the NATO meeting in Turkey because of Erdogan.

This statement not only sheds light on the US President’s strained relationship with other European NATO partners. It is already a prestige success for Turkish head of state Erdogan, who was criticized for his restrictive measures against the opposition.

The host had already worked hard in advance to ensure that the pictures were correct. He had the capital beautified, facades were painted – and ensured that no critics disturbed the harmonious picture. There is a comprehensive ban on demonstrations in Ankara. Nevertheless, some people are protesting against the NATO summit – the police took tough action and, according to media reports, arrested more than 70 people.

The headlines of the past few days have already shown that dissent will not be tolerated in Erdogan’s Türkiye. Numerous people were arrested, including trade unionists and activists – and a well-known stand-up comedian. In addition, numerous Turkish journalists, including many opposition media representatives, did not receive accreditation for the summit.

This is all part of the crackdown on the opposition, which has reached a new peak since the arrest of Erdogan’s most prominent rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, more than a year ago. There are several cases underway against Imamoglu, which the opposition criticizes as politically motivated.

Shortly before the start of the summit on Monday, the seemingly absurd situation arose that Imamoglu… Istanbul had to testify in several trials on the same day. He also came up with the question at the summit: whether Erdogan wanted to brag that he had put his rival in prison?