Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he would "most likely" hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO summit to be hosted by Turkey next month.

Speaking to reporters at parliament, Erdogan said a separate meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the July 7-8 summit in Ankara was likely, although he did not provide further details.

"It will most likely happen," Erdogan said when asked whether the two leaders planned to meet outside the summit proceedings.

NATO Leaders to Gather in Ankara

Turkey will host the leaders of NATO's 32 member states, along with representatives from partner countries in the Gulf and the Asia-Pacific region, at a time when the alliance faces growing debates over defense spending, burden-sharing and regional security challenges.

The summit comes amid renewed tensions within NATO over military expenditure targets and U.S. calls for allies to assume greater responsibility for collective defense and regional security operations.

Erdogan has previously emphasized the importance of Trump's participation in the summit, saying the U.S. president's attendance would demonstrate unity within the alliance.

Strengthening Ankara-Washington Ties

Relations between Erdogan and Trump have strengthened since Trump's return to the White House in 2024, with the two leaders expanding cooperation on several regional issues.

The improvement in ties has also helped address some longstanding disputes between the two countries, including legal issues surrounding Turkish state lender Halkbank.

Analysts view the personal relationship between the two leaders as an important factor in managing bilateral relations, which have at times been strained over defense, security and regional policy differences.

Defense Spending High on Agenda

Burhanettin Duran, Turkey's communications director, said burden-sharing and defense expenditures would be among the key issues discussed during the summit.

"The changing security architecture is pushing NATO allies to re-evaluate their defense spending. In that framework, Turkey aims to reach the 3.5 percent plus 1.5 percent target by the end of 2030," Duran said, according to remarks released on Wednesday.

NATO members have faced increasing pressure to raise defense spending amid evolving security threats and changing geopolitical conditions.

Partners Beyond NATO

The summit will also include representatives from the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, NATO's partnership framework with several Middle Eastern countries.

Foreign ministers from Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, collectively known as the Indo-Pacific Four, are also expected to attend, underscoring NATO's growing engagement with partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The gathering is expected to focus on alliance unity, defense commitments and emerging security challenges facing NATO and its partners.