Turkish president hosts NATO leaders in Ankara

ANKARA

 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan hosted a reception and official state dinner on July 7 evening in honor of heads of state and government and their spouses attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in the capital Ankara.

Erdoğan and the first lady welcomed the heads of state and government and their spouses on the steps of the presidential complex's main building, greeting each guest individually before posing for commemorative photographs.

During the leaders' arrival, the Turkish Armed Forces' military band performed traditional marches.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to enjoy the performance, giving a thumbs-up in appreciation as the Mehter band played.

The summit in Ankara is bringing together leaders of the 32-member alliance as well as key partners to discuss Europe’s defense capacity, the alliance’s defense spending targets, military modernization, and continued support for Ukraine.

The Ankara meeting marks the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul summit. The gathering also provides a platform for bilateral meetings between Türkiye and allied countries on political, security and economic cooperation.

Earlier Tuesday, Erdoğan separately met with Trump, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb.

On Wednesday, Erdoğan will deliver the opening speech of the summit. Later, Erdoğan and other NATO leaders will pose for a family photo.