Erdogan Readies NATO Summit With Warning Shot at Israel
Turkey’s President Erdogan, hosting all 32 NATO leaders from Tuesday, repeated his warning that Israel must not be allowed to “dynamite” the US-Iran memorandum of understanding. The summit’s prepared text reaffirms an “ironclad commitment” to collective defence, and European members and Canada are expected to pledge around €70bn a year in military aid for Ukraine. Ankara is under a sweeping security lockdown ahead of the arrivals.
Erdogan is using the host’s chair to position Turkey as guardian of the fragile Iran truce — a role that suits a leader who kept channels open to Tehran throughout the war and now wants the diplomatic dividend. The summit’s real tests sit underneath the communiqué language: whether the Article 5 text survives contact with Trump’s scepticism, whether the aid number is credible over two years, and how the alliance handles air defence for Ukraine after the deadliest fortnight of the air war. The Iran file and the Ukraine file will compete for the same room. Watch Tuesday’s opening session and any Trump-Zelensky meeting on the margins.