New debate in Ankara ahead of NATO summit: Which runway will Trump's plane land on?

 Ankara is effectively under a state of emergency due to the NATO Summit to be held on July 7-8. From 'preventive' detentions to stop NATO protests, to the painting of houses along the leaders' transit routes, and the denial of accreditation to opposition newspapers... In the midst of all these debates, the question of where US President Trump's plane will land has emerged.

Halk TV columnist Uğur Ergan, in his article titled 'Where will Trump's plane land?', announced that while Trump was expected to land at the Ankara Airport—which was renovated for him at a cost of 11.5 billion lira—he might instead land at Esenboğa.

Halk TV columnist Uğur Ergan reported the following on the discussions in Ankara in his article titled 'Where will Trump's plane land?':

Although the Palace and NATO are collaborating to prevent independent and opposition media from covering the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8, this has not stopped the rumors and claims circulating in the capital's political circles. Looking at statements from both Ankara and Washington, we can say it is certain that US President Donald Trump will attend the summit. Trump is expected to arrive in Ankara on the Boeing 747-8 'Air Force One' aircraft, a gift from Qatar. As you know, Etimesgut Airport was renovated and renamed 'Ankara Airport' so that 'Air Force One' could land and take off comfortably. The existing 2,450-meter runway was extended to 3,000 meters through modernization efforts. In addition to the extension, the runway was also widened, increasing from 42 meters to 60 meters.

The massive 160,000-square-meter apron will be able to park between 40 and 50 aircraft. A new state guesthouse has also been built at Etimesgut to welcome and see off guests. The cost of the airport, which began modernization last October, is said to exceed 11.5 billion lira. Connecting roads 12.5 kilometers long were also built between the airport and the Palace in Beştepe. Since Etimesgut was renamed 'Ankara Airport,' it was registered with the IATA code 'ANK' according to international aviation standards and was opened by the President on June 15. I hear people here and there saying, 'Flights could be made from here as well, after Esenboğa in Ankara.' There is no such thing.

There will be no civilian passenger flights from 'Ankara Airport.' If Erdoğan departs for domestic or international trips from Ankara, he will mostly use this airport. This airport will also be used for heads of state visiting Turkey, diplomatic delegations, official protocol flights, and military operations. Having underlined this, let's come to the issue of Trump's plane. According to what is being discussed in Ankara circles, the US delegation has inspected the new airport. It is said that in the initial assessments, claims that it would be more appropriate for 'Air Force One,' which will bring Trump, to land at Esenboğa instead of the new airport have come to the fore. I asked Turkish officials about the matter. They have also received information that 'it is not possible to say anything definitive for now, but the view that it would be more appropriate for Air Force One to land at Esenboğa is gaining weight on the US side.'

Turkish officials, who state that the planes of Macron, Merz, and many other participants will land at Etimesgut, argue that this is a diplomatic preference and that the US side has not expressed any reservations due to any technical failure. However, in Ankara, claims are being discussed ranging from 'the landing systems at the renovated Etimesgut are insufficient' to 'the 3,000-meter runway length will not be enough for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft that will bring Trump.' One of these claims is as follows: 'For the landing of a massive aircraft like the Boeing 747-8, both the hot weather and the altitude of the landing site are important.'

Considering the situation in Ankara, there would be no problem during takeoff, but in hot weather conditions, 3,000 meters might not be enough for landing. Therefore, the runway should be longer.' Those who defend this claim point out that the Presidential plane that first landed at 'Ankara Airport' and was greeted with a water salute was the Airbus A340-500 model TC-CAN. Let us immediately remind you that the Presidential fleet also includes the Boeing 747-8 (TC-TRK) aircraft, which was gifted to Erdoğan by the Emir of Qatar. I also spoke about the subject with a retired aviation commander who did not want to be named. I am quoting his words exactly: 'We tried very hard to have the runway extended to 3,500 meters so that our military cargo planes and F-16s could land comfortably. We couldn't do it because they were unwilling to allocate land from the Sugar Factory. It would have been better if it were 3,500 meters, but I think Air Force One can also land on a 3,000-meter runway. You know the Americans; they are very meticulous. Perhaps they might prefer Esenboğa to avoid creating a risky situation.' As you can see, there are many claims; let's see where Trump's plane will land.