ANKARA – Turkey put on a red-white-and-blue air show and named a new airport building after President Donald Trump, seeking to take its relationship with the U.S. to new heights at a NATO summit in Ankara, even as the U.S. leader lashed out at others in the defense alliance.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Trump at the airport on Tuesday and then walked arm-in-arm with his “dear friend,” who ​later promised to drop sanctions that he himself had imposed on Turkey during his first term as president six years ago — one of the darkest moments ‌in ‌U.S.-Turkish ties.

The relationship grew even brighter over the two-day summit that ended on Wednesday. Trump said he was willing to ​sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets — though later he said he has not totally made up his mind — and repeatedly praised Erdogan, with whom he shared smiles, laughs and embraces as they communicated via translators.

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