Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged US President-elect Donald Trump to honour his election promise and end Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
“We want that promise to be fulfilled, and for Israel to be told to stop,” Erdogan said during a press briefing with journalists accompanying him on a trip to Hungary, according to a transcript from the Turkish presidency.
“I believe that Mr Trump cutting off arms support to Israel could be an important step toward halting Israeli aggression in Palestinian and Lebanese territories.”
Erdogan expressed his desire to see an end to the continuation of President Joe Biden’s policies, which he believes have deepened the deadlock in the region and exacerbate the conflicts.
Following Trump’s landslide election victory on Tuesday, Erdogan held a phone call with the president-elect to congratulate him on his successful campaign.
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“Despite all the challenges and pressure, including legal cases against him, Mr Trump emerged victorious,” Erdogan told reporters.
He described the conversation as sincere, stating that Trump was having a family dinner at the time, with Elon Musk and Musk’s child present during the call.
“We discussed the election process and cooperation between Turkey and the United States. He also made positive remarks regarding Turkey’s future,” Erdogan added.
During the phone call, Erdogan extended an invitation to Trump for an official visit to Turkey.
Many in Erdogan’s circle believe that a second Trump term could foster stronger relations with Ankara, given the history of frequent engagements between the two leaders, including phone calls and meetings.
These interactions have provided Erdogan with opportunities to advocate for issues important to Turkey.
For instance, in 2019, during one such call, Trump gave Erdogan the green light to launch a military operation in northern Syria, enabling Ankara to seize territory and limit the influence of US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces along the Turkish border.
When Washington imposed sanctions on Turkey in response to its purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, Trump selected the lightest sanctions package available.
Despite occasional tensions – such as the US sanctions on Turkish ministers over the imprisonment of American pastor Andrew Brunson in 2018 – Erdogan’s entourage believes that the two leaders share a similar mindset and could collaborate on broader strategic goals.
