Trump Urges Netanyahu to Approach Disputes with Turkey with Reason
US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act “reasonably” regarding any disagreements with Türkiye. Trump also expressed his strong relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In an Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said, “Any issue you have with Turkey, I believe I can help resolve. But you must be reasonable, we both have to be reasonable.” He used an older English term for Türkiye in his remarks.
Trump added, “Bibi, if there’s an issue with Turkey, I’m confident you’ll be able to sort it out. I have a very good relationship with Turkey and their leadership, and I believe we can work through it. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
Trump also praised his relationship with Erdogan, calling him “a tough guy” and “very smart.” He further remarked, “He did something nobody else could do,” referencing his earlier comments where he implied that Erdogan played a role in the downfall of Syria’s long-standing leader, Bashar al-Assad.
In the conversation, Trump reflected on previous talks with Netanyahu, noting, “I congratulated him because he’s done something that no one else has managed in 2,000 years — he took over Syria, though not directly, but through proxies.”
Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December 2023, marking the end of the Baath Party’s reign, which had lasted since 1963.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led efforts to remove Assad, was declared the interim president in January 2024.
