00:20At the height of tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, a striking claim
00:27from Donald Trump has added a new layer of controversy to already fragile geopolitics.
00:34Speaking inside the Oval Office during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Root, Trump
00:40made a dramatic assertion about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stance during the Iran
00:48conflict.
00:49Trump claimed that Erdogan had once been a potential actor who could have entered the
00:55war and, in his words, possibly on the Iran side.
01:01I like him, he's a friend of mine.
01:03He stayed out of the war, you know, he was a prime candidate to go into the war with Iran,
01:10maybe on the Iran side because he's not a big fan of Israel as you know.
01:14And I asked him to stay out, he stayed out.
01:16And you know who else was great was President Xi of China.
01:19He couldn't come in, he gets half of his oil from that area, you know, I could see him wanting
01:24to and I asked him to please stay out.
01:26And he did.
01:27We did, we did a good job.
01:29But he stayed out.
01:31According to Trump, he personally intervened to prevent that from happening.
01:36He described Erdogan as a strong leader and a personal friend, saying,
01:41He's a great leader, a very strong person.
01:45Everything I've ever asked from him, he's done.
01:48But it was his claim about the Iran conflict that stood out most.
01:53Trump stated that Erdogan was a prime candidate to become involved in the war in a way that
01:59could have aligned with Iran, citing political tensions and Erdogan's critical stance toward
02:06Israel as part of the reasoning behind his assessment.
02:09He added that he asked Erdogan to stay out of the conflict and that, according to him,
02:16Erdogan complied.
02:17The remarks came in the context of broader discussions on NATO relations, Turkey's strategic role,
02:25and potential defense cooperation, including long debated issues around F-35 fighter jets.
02:32Trump also used the moment to highlight what he described as successful diplomatic influence
02:39over major global leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, framing their
02:46non-involvement in the conflict as part of effective behind-the-scenes engagement.
02:52However, the claim about Erdogan has sparked debate, especially given Turkey's official position
02:59during the 2026 Iran conflict.
03:03Turkey, a NATO member, did not enter the war on either side.
03:07Instead, it publicly called for de-escalation and positioned itself as a potential mediator,
03:14while maintaining a complex and often tense relationship with both Israel and Iran.
03:20There has been no independent confirmation of Trump's assertion that Erdogan ever considered
03:27joining the conflict on Iran's side.
03:30Still, the statement quickly drew attention due to its geopolitical implications,
03:36especially at a time when NATO unity, Middle East tensions,
03:41and U.S.-Turkey defense relations are already under strain.
03:45The remarks also come ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders are expected
03:52to discuss security cooperation, regional stability, and Turkey's strategic role within the alliance.
04:00For now, Trump's comments remain a political flashpoint, blending personal diplomacy, high-stakes war rhetoric,
04:08and unresolved questions about what was said behind closed doors during one of the most volatile conflicts of 2026.
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