President Donald Trump has expressed renewed trust in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, praising him for facilitating the Gaza ceasefire. This newfound alliance between Washington and Ankara is part of broader strategic moves by Erdogan, including expanding Turkey’s role in Gaza reconstruction, peacekeeping, and countering regional threats. Critics warn that such moves could embolden Turkey’s ambitions and disrupt regional stability.
During the war, Erdogan has condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza while defending Hamas against U.S. policy, and avoided a leading diplomatic role in ending the war. Trump’s public praise underscored a new level of trust between Washington and Ankara. But according to Turkish press reports, Erdogan refused to land his plane in Egypt after learning that Netanyahu — personally invited by Trump — might attend the summit. The Turkish president only agreed to land once it was confirmed that the Israeli leader would not be present.
Former senior Israeli intelligence official Sinan Ciddi, a senior fellow and director of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that these actions were classic Erdogan theater. He likely knew Netanyahu was expected, especially because the U.S. president was there. But refusing to land until Netanyahu was out gives him domestic political capital and boosts his image across parts of the Muslim world. Ciddi also recalled an appearance on Fox News where Erdogan stated,