Trump rebukes Netanyahu for ‘rough’ remarks about Turkey

“Bibi said rough things yesterday about Turkey,” Trump said. Erdogan “could have gone into the war because he doesn’t like Israel much, and he doesn’t like Bibi much.”

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump publicly defended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday while criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his recent attacks on Turkey, saying the Israeli leader had said “rough things” about the country.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump praised Erdogan as “terrific” and said the Turkish leader had shown restraint despite tensions with Israel.

“I like President Erdogan,” Trump said. “He rolled out the red carpet. He’s terrific.”

Trump contrasted Erdogan with Netanyahu’s recent comments about Turkey.

“Bibi said rough things yesterday about Turkey,” Trump said. “He could have gone into the war because he doesn’t like Israel much, and he doesn’t like Bibi much. And he didn’t go because of me.”

Trump described Turkey as a major military power and suggested his relationship with Erdogan had prevented a broader confrontation.

“This is a military power. Millions of soldiers. Turkey’s very strong. They have a lot of our best equipment,” Trump said. “He wanted to go in. If it weren’t for me, he would have gone in, and he would have been on the other side.”

The remarks came a day after Netanyahu publicly urged the United States not to approve the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, warning that doing so would threaten Israel’s security and alter the regional balance of power.

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Netanyahu said he had personally asked Trump not to move forward with the sale after the president indicated Washington was considering supplying the aircraft to Ankara.

“This is not a force for peace and stability,” Netanyahu said. “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake.”

He argued that the Turkish government had become increasingly hostile toward both Israel and the United States.

“This doesn’t make Turkey a friendly state to the United States,” Netanyahu said, describing Erdogan’s government as “a regime that’s infected with the Muslim Brotherhood, which hates the United States.”

“He threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state,” Netanyahu added. “It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump indicated he was open to restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35 program.

“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal. So it’s something we’d consider,” Trump said.

Asked about Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, which led to Ankara’s removal from the F-35 program in 2019, Trump replied, “I have no concerns at all about anything having to do with Turkey. The relationship with Turkey right now is better probably than it’s ever been.”

Relations between Israel and Turkey have continued to deteriorate in recent months.

Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that “Israel has become a problem for the entire world” and described Israeli leaders as “a burden humanity can no longer bear.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the remarks as “textbook incitement to genocide,” saying they echoed rhetoric historically used to justify the persecution of Jews.

Erdogan has also intensified his attacks on Israel, recently describing Zionism as “a genocidal, occupying, and expansionist ideology” and accusing Israel of threatening not only the Palestinians but the broader Middle East.

Despite the increasingly hostile rhetoric between Jerusalem and Ankara, Trump’s latest comments signal his close relationship with Erdogan and signaled his continued willingness to strengthen defense ties with Turkey, even as Israel publicly warns against doing so.

Benjamin NetanyahuDonald TrumpIsrael-Turkey relationsRecep Tayyip Erdogan