Trump Says He Kept Erdogan Out of a War with Iran

President Donald Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and claimed he stopped him from getting involved in a war alongside Iran. Trump said Erdogan was “a major candidate” to enter the conflict, “maybe on the side of Iran,” because he is “not a big fan of Israel.” He added, “I asked him to stay out of it. He stayed out.”

Trump made the remarks in the Oval Office during a meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, answering a question from a Turkish reporter about his upcoming visit to Ankara and his message to Erdogan and the Turkish public. He described Erdogan as “a great leader” and “a very strong man,” saying, “Anything I asked him to do, he did.”

Trump also said China could have entered the war because it gets half of its oil from the region, but said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to stay out and that Xi complied. “We did a good job,” Trump said.

Against reports that the United States is preparing a large arms sale to Turkey, Trump was asked whether he was preparing a major gift for Ankara, including F-35 fighter jets. He replied, “I think so, look. I will probably do something that will make him very happy.” Vice President J.D. Vance later said any F-35 deal would require legal and congressional approval, saying there are “certain things” that must be confirmed to comply with U.S. law and that “it’s really a matter of Congress.”