Trump Praises Erdogan: ‘I Like Him, He Likes Me, and It Drives the Media Crazy’

Donald Trump sang praises for Turkey and its leader during a meeting on Monday (07/04/2025) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As Trump highlighted about Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “he is really tough and very smart. I have a very good relationship with this man, I like him, he likes me, and it drives the media crazy.” Regarding the issue of the detained American pastor in Izmir during his first term, which brought Washington and Ankara into conflict, Trump said, “We never had a problem and we went through a lot.” On Turkey-Israel relations against the backdrop of Syria, Trump stated: “If Israel has an issue with Turkey, I think I can resolve it if they are reasonable.” Additionally, Trump revealed that he praised Erdogan’s actions in Syria, saying, “I told him how he achieved what no one else could in 2,000 years; he took control of Syria, give him credit for that.”