United States President Donald Trump has stated that he does not believe there will be a conflict between Israel and Turkey, expressing confidence in his personal relationship with the Turkish president.
In a statement to the media, Trump was asked whether there was a risk of conflict between the two countries.
He responded by praising Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he considers him "a strong person" and that they have a relationship of mutual respect.
"I really like Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He's a strong man... I don't think that's going to happen with Turkey, not as long as I'm president, because he respects me and I respect him," the American leader declared.
The statement comes after the Turkish leader stressed that Israeli attacks on Syria and Lebanon no longer pose a threat only to these two "brotherly countries", but have reached a point where they pose a direct threat to Turkey itself.
Referring to the broader picture of the conflict, the Turkish leader stressed that Ankara is fully aware of the ultimate goal behind, as he put it, the illusion of creating a "Greater Israel."
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted by not mincing words, calling the Turkish leader a dictator and accusing him of serious human rights violations, as well as supporting terrorism. /Telegraph
