Turkiye: US President Donald Trump was secretly transported out of Turkiye using a decoy operation following the NATO Summit in Ankara on July 8, according to a report by the Washington Post. Citing official sources and reviewed documents, the report revealed that amid credible security concerns regarding a potential Iranian assassination plot, American security officials executed a clandestine transport mission without the knowledge of press pool members or several White House staff members.
To execute the concealment, President Trump initially boarded the standard Air Force One jumbo jet in full view of cameras. Shortly afterward, he and key aides transferred via a hydraulic airport catering truck to a smaller, modified Boeing 757 designated as the Air Force C-32A, while the primary aircraft operated as a decoy with reporters and staff aboard. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also boarded the C-32A separately to maintain operational security. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the safety protocols, noting that national security agencies utilize all available tools to mitigate credible foreign threats targeting the president.
In a related diplomatic development, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to visit the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom starting August 25 as part of a major global outreach initiative.
The decision to operate a decoy aircraft highlights the severe security risks identified by US intelligence along Turkiye’s border region. While historical precedents exist for using decoy flights during presidential travels to high-risk areas over the past three decades, the operational secrecy surrounding the Ankara departure has prompted questions regarding government disclosure protocols and security coordination during international summits.
