The ‘Grand Turk’

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (r) and Vice President JD Vance (third r) be a gathering betwixt US President Donald Trump (center r) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (center l) successful the Oval Office of the White House, successful Washington, DC, connected September 25, 2025. [Yuri Gripas/EPA]

Donald Trump’s gathering with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unlike immoderate different that the US president had with European leaders connected Thursday afternoon. The jokes and the sometimes snarky innuendos were wholly absent. The person of the Free World and president of the astir almighty state connected the satellite was gathering the “Grand Turk” oregon the Grand Signor – arsenic the Venetians called the sultan of the expanding Ottoman Empire.

“He is simply a tough man. He is opinionated. Usually I don’t similar opinionated people. But I ever liked him,” Trump said, adding: “I think President Erdogan is the 1 liable for Syria, for the successful combat successful ridding Syria of its past leader. He doesn’t take the responsibility, but it’s really a large achievement.”

The diametrically opposed positions of the US and Turkey toward Israel were not mentioned astatine each successful the property league betwixt the two leaders. President Erdogan’s highly harsh disapproval against Israel successful his speech to the UN General Assembly was not commented connected by Trump, who criticized the determination of Western leaders to admit a Palestinian state. But what could helium say? A fewer hours aft the Israeli airstrike connected Doha, Qatar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to deed Hamas “wherever they are” successful countries successful the region, indirectly implying Turkey.

“Today Qatar. Tomorrow Turkey,” wrote Israeli expert Meir Masri. A elder advisor to President Erdogan wrote: “To the canine of Zionist Israel… σύντομα the world will find bid with your erasure from the map.” Things reached a boiling point.

The lone happening the Israeli premier curate managed to bash was to represent Erdogan arsenic the lone defender of the Palestinians and the voice of the Muslims among NATO leaders. That is why Erdogan participated successful Trump’s gathering with leaders of Muslim states that discussed Gaza. In the aboriginal hours of Friday morning, it became known that the US president assured his Muslim allies that “he will not let the annexation of the West Bank by Israel.”

Something is starting to alteration successful the Middle East and seemingly Trump has seen acceptable to marque use of Erdogan, the lone person among Washington’s allies successful NATO oregon the EU whose state has ne'er been affected by the virus of antisemitism – successful opposition to what has been happening for centuries successful the countries of civilized Europe. The occupation that exists today has a name.

The elevation of the erstwhile scapegoat of the US and the EU to – successful a way – “Grand Signor” of the portion creates tenable concerns successful Greece and to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who was an ardent supporter of erstwhile president Joe Biden. Not to notation that Trump is besides unpredictable. But that’s life.