U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday described President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a "great leader" and a close friend, underscoring the strong relationship between the two leaders while dismissing concerns about potential tensions between Türkiye and Israel.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the possibility of a confrontation between Türkiye and Israel amid growing regional tensions. The question came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a series of anti-Erdoğan remarks on social media, followed by Erdoğan's warning against Israeli expansionism and violations.
The U.S. president said he had not heard of any such scenario and suggested he would personally intervene if necessary.
"He's a very good friend of mine, and we've worked very well together," Trump said of Erdoğan. "I like him. He's a great leader and a very strong person."
Trump expressed confidence that relations between Türkiye and Israel would not escalate into direct conflict, pointing to the mutual respect he said exists between himself and Erdoğan.
"If I heard something like that, I would call him and make sure everything was fine," Trump said. "I don't think something like that will happen with Türkiye. He respects me, and I respect him. Beyond that, we have a good friendship."
The remarks highlighted the longstanding rapport between the two leaders, who have maintained regular communication on a range of regional issues despite periodic disagreements between Washington and Ankara.
Türkiye is a fierce critic of Israel and one of the few countries in its region to openly defy the Netanyahu administration's genocidal campaign of expansionism that spread from the Palestinian territories to Lebanon and beyond.
For Ankara, Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the wider region. The country has exerted efforts for a diplomatic solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and cut off all ties with Israel since the genocide in Gaza began three years ago. Erdoğan is at the forefront of the criticism and has repeatedly urged the international community to stop Israel before it embarks on another campaign of terror in Lebanon.
