Asked about Erdogan’s threats against Israel, Trump praises Turkish leader

US President Donald Trump hails Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in response to a question about the latter’s recent threats against Israel.

A reporter in the Oval Office notes the recent call from Erdogan for countries to confront Israel due to what he said were its destabilizing activities throughout the region, and the journalist asks Trump whether he’s concerned about a confrontation between Jerusalem and Ankara, and whether he still plans to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets.

“As you know, he’s a very good friend of mine, and we’ve worked very well together. I like him a lot,” Trump responds, avoiding any comment on Erdogan’s threats against Israel.

Trump tells reporters that he hasn’t heard about Erdogan’s latest criticism of Israel but that if he did, he’d call the Turkish leader and make sure that “nothing would happen with Turkey.”

Earlier today, Erdogan said Israel’s attacks on Syria and Lebanon reached a point where they also threaten Turkey, adding Israel’s “aggression” poses a threat to the whole world and must be stopped. Netanyahu shouted back by calling Erdogan an “antisemitic dictator.”

Trump has repeatedly touted Erdogan in the past, but the fact that he was willing to do so again in the context of the Turkish leader’s threats against Israel could be the latest indication of the US President’s growing unease with Netanyahu, whom he has reportedly chewed out in recent phone calls as well as somewhat in the press, asserting that the premier will do whatever he tells him to do when it comes to Iran and Lebanon.