Erdoğan's World Cup move: Agenda includes meeting with Trump

As Turkey earns the right to compete in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 24 years, one of the most notable matches of the group stage to be played in the US will be the Turkey-US game. As the date of this critical match approaches, it is reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has added a new item to his diplomatic agenda.

According to claims in the American press, it is alleged that Erdoğan plans to attend the national match taking place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 26 and is making efforts to hold a private meeting with US President Donald Trump on this occasion.

It is assessed that this contact, which is aimed to take place shortly before the NATO Summit to be hosted by Turkey in Ankara, could allow for the discussion of bilateral relations between the two countries and regional developments, as well as NATO's future missions at the leaders' level. Experts point out that this meeting could have strategic importance ahead of the summit in Ankara.

While the conditions and location of a potential meeting between Erdoğan and Trump have not yet been clarified, it is stated that the summit will be held on July 7-8, and in this context, it would offer the leaders an opportunity to convey their positions to each other before the meeting. The two leaders last met face-to-face at the White House last September.

Turkey's group opponents in the World Cup include Australia and Paraguay, in addition to the US. As interest and excitement for the tournament continue to grow, the repercussions of a possible Erdoğan-Trump meeting are already on the international public agenda.