Trump says plane switch decision was up to Secret Service

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration will arrange a change of aircraft in Turkey following the conclusion of the NATO summit. The decision, disclosed during a press briefing on Tuesday, indicated that the presidential flight will be transferred to a Turkish‑based platform after the multilateral meeting ends, allowing the delegation to continue its itinerary without returning to the United States.

The move comes as NATO leaders wrapped up discussions on collective defense and regional security in Washington, D.C., before departing for subsequent engagements across Europe and the Middle East. Officials said the aircraft swap is intended to streamline logistics for the president’s upcoming visits to allied partners and to accommodate scheduled maintenance of the current plane. The United States and Turkey have coordinated the operation through their respective defense ministries, and the change is expected to take place at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport later this week. No further details on the specific aircraft or the itinerary were released.