President Donald Trump revealed overnight Wednesday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stayed out of the war with Iran following his personal request. Trump praised Erdoğan despite his well-known anti-Israel positions, saying: “I like him…he was a prime candidate to go into the war with Iran, maybe on the Iran side because he’s not a big fan of Israel. And I asked him to stay out.”
Trump continued to heap praise on Erdoğan, calling him “a great, strong leader,” and adding that “he loves Turkey. A respected man and a friend of mine. Erdoğan is a strong person—everything I’ve ever asked him to do, he’s done.” The president also hinted at a positive resolution regarding F-35 fighter jets for Turkey, saying: “I’ll probably do something that will make him very happy.”
He also emphasized Turkey’s military strength: “People don’t know how big Turkey is militarily. It’s a very strong military.” Beyond his comments on Turkey, Trump also addressed Iran and issued an explicit threat. “I won’t let them collect tolls at Hormuz—otherwise it will happen in other places in the world. It would be a game changer,” he said.