President Donald Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in remarks Wednesday evening, saying he loves him and thanking him for staying out of the war against Iran. Trump added that Erdogan could have sided with Iran due to his dislike of Israel, but chose not to. The comments, circulated on social media and reported by Israeli media, continue Trump's pattern of warm personal assessments of Erdogan.
President Donald Trump expressed strong personal affection for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in remarks made Wednesday evening, according to a post on a curated Israeli news channel. 'I love him,' Trump said of Erdogan, praising him for staying out of the U.S.-Iran war. Trump noted that Erdogan 'could have been on Iran's side because he doesn't like Israel,' but that he asked Erdogan to remain neutral and Erdogan complied. The president called Erdogan 'a great, strong leader.'
The remarks align with Trump's broader pattern of praising Erdogan in recent weeks. As The Zioneer reported on June 10, Trump previously called Erdogan a 'friend' and said he would call him if he heard anti-Semitic statements attributed to the Turkish leader. The latest comments come amid ongoing regional realignments following the conclusion of major combat operations between the U.S. and Iran, and as Turkey maintains a delicate balancing act — a NATO member that has criticized Israeli policy but refrained from direct military involvement in the Iran conflict.
2 developments
- DevelopingTrump says he will speak with Turkey, calls Erdogan 'great'
- DevelopingReport: Trump tells Erdogan he's coming to NATO summit in July just for him
- StrongTrump berates NATO, praises Erdogan as Ankara summit opens
- DevelopingErdogan praises Trump's 'determined stance' on Iran peace efforts at NATO summit
Source and signal
- Open-source intake