Shortly before a July 7 NATO Summit in Ankara, Netanyahu called Trump to highlight Erdoğan's escalating rhetoric against Israel, including characterizations of Zionism as a "genocidal" Ideology and claims that Israel threatens Turkey's survival. Netanyahu asked Trump to "rein in" The Turkish president's statements.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan amplified this rhetoric in a television interview, describing Israel as "a burden that humanity can no longer bear" And calling for international sanctions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar characterized Fidan's comments as "a clear call for genocide."
When a reporter asked Trump about Erdoğan's recent antisemitic remarks during an Oval Office briefing, Trump did not address the question. Instead, he praised the Turkish leader, saying: "As you know, he's a very good friend of mine, and we've worked very well together. I like him a lot."
The source notes that while Trump expressed fondness for Erdoğan, he has demonstrated an unstable stance toward Netanyahu, who has been his partner against Iran. Turkey, however, has been assisting Iran in evading U.S. Sanctions. According to Politico, Western diplomats reported that senior Iranian military officials met with a Turkish business delegation led by an Erdoğan confidant to coordinate oil smuggling to China and Russia and fund Iranian terrorist proxies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Turkey blocked Kurdish armed groups from opening a new front inside Iran, opposing what he characterized as a U.S.-Israeli regime-change effort. The source suggests Trump appears willing to allow ongoing tensions between Erdoğan and Netanyahu to persist while ignoring Turkish threats to Israel - and is prepared to sell Erdoğan F-35 fighter jets despite their threat to Israel and Greece.
The source indicates Trump's approach reflects growing friction with Netanyahu over Iran policy and a Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran linked to preserving Hezbollah. After Hezbollah violated a ceasefire by firing on northern Israel, Trump pressed Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions.