Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting with EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk on the sidelines of the NATO summit, but ties between Ankara and the bloc have been strained, especially following the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, when Turkey said it did not receive support from EU leaders.

CGTN's Michal Bardavid reports that relations were further strained in April prior to the Referendum in Turkey that gave President Erdogan sweeping new power when several EU countries banned Turkish parties from campaigning in their soil. 

VCG Photo.

EU leaders have also been criticizing Turkey for human rights issues, especially for the scope of the crackdown since the coup attempt where thousands have been sacked or suspended. 

Since then, several EU leaders have called for the suspension of membership talks with Turkey – though Ankara is frustrated at the pace of negotiations, Erdogan has stated Turkey has no inclination to break away from the EU. 

Yet prior to the trip, Erdogan emphasized the need for solidarity within NATO, and particularly in the fight against terrorism, stating that cooperation and information sharing was crucial. With so many conflicting issues, the meetings are likely to be tense.