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Crying on Trump’s shoulder: Erdogan complains about Israel in call with US president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Donald Trump to pursue diplomacy with Iran while using their phone call to once again criticize Israel over its military operations in Gaza.

Erdogan told Trump it was essential to “make the utmost use of diplomacy” amid tensions between Washington and Tehran, offering Ankara’s support for peace efforts. At the same time, he accused Israel of stepping up operations against Palestinians as the US pushes to advance the next phase of its Gaza plan.

The Turkish leader also praised the new Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defense pact as a powerful step toward regional security. Trump has welcomed the alliance himself, calling it a “big, bold, and important first step” and saying it shows the Middle East is “coming together.”