U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced he spoke by phone today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Their conversation covered a range of issues, including the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, rising tensions in Syria, and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Turkey has played a central role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, helping broker the now largely defunct Black Sea Grain Deal and several prisoner exchanges. Regarding Syria and Gaza, Ankara has strongly opposed Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, with rhetoric between Turkey and Israel escalating—especially after the Turkish-backed group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted forces aligned with the Assad regime.
