US President Donald Trump emerges as Türkiye-Israel broker: Report

U.S. President Donald Trump has positioned himself as a mediator between Türkiye and Israel as Tel Aviv’s growing unease over Turkish military activity in Syria raises regional tensions, according to a Bloomberg report.

Trump’s intervention came during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.

Trump urges ‘reasonable’ dialogue between Türkiye, Israel

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump addressed Netanyahu directly, urging moderation in the face of rising disputes with Türkiye.

“Any problem that you have with Türkiye, I think I can solve,” Trump said to Netanyahu and added, “I mean, as long as you’re reasonable, you have to be reasonable. We have to be reasonable.”

“Bibi, if you have a problem with Türkiye, I really think you’re going to be able to work it out. You know, I have a very, very good relationship with Türkiye and with their leader, and I think we’ll be able to work it out. So I hope that’s not going to be a problem. I don’t think it will be a problem,” he added, using a nickname to refer to Netanyahu.

Trump also praised his relationship with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and expressed confidence in his ability to serve as a go-between during a time of escalating friction in the region.

Trump said he has “great relations” with Erdogan, whom he described as “a tough guy, and he’s very smart, and he did something that nobody was able to do,” referring to earlier remarks in which he said he believes “it was Türkiye” that orchestrated the downfall last December of Syria’s former longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

“I said, Congratulations, you’ve done what nobody’s been able to do in 2,000 years. You’ve taken over Syria with different names, but the same thing. I said, You’ve taken it over. He’s taken it over through surrogates,” Trump said of his prior conversations with Netanyahu.

Türkiye’s rumored base plans in Syria raise Israeli concerns

Türkiye is reportedly proceeding with plans to expand its military footprint in northern Syria, sparking alarm in Israel. However, Turkish Ministry of Defense (MoD) sources recently made a statement regarding the developments allegedly taking place in Syria and said, “Posts other than the statements made by the official authorities should not be trusted.”

“Unauthentic and purposeful news and posts other than the statements made by the official authorities regarding the developments in Syria or alleged developments in Syria should not be taken into consideration,” Turkish MoD sources added.

The deployment of additional Turkish troops and the construction of new bases are reportedly being discussed, alongside offers to arm and train Syrian military personnel as part of a broader security agreement with Damascus.

Israeli officials have voiced concern over Ankara’s activities, emphasizing the need to prevent Syria from becoming a launchpad for potential threats.

“We don’t want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Türkiye, as a base to attack Israel,” Netanyahu said.

Also, similar messages came from a senior Israeli official who stated that Israel does not seek conflict with Türkiye in Syria, following heightened tensions between the two countries and Israeli airstrikes on military sites in Syria, according to a Reuters report.

“We’re not looking for a conflict with Türkiye, and we hope that Türkiye isn’t looking for a conflict with us,” the official told reporters, speaking on the condition of anonymity. However, the official added, “But we also do not want to see Turkish entrenchment on our border, and there are all kinds of ways to handle this.”

Israeli airstrikes target Syrian military sites

Late last week, Israel conducted a series of airstrikes across Syria, reportedly targeting three air bases.

The strikes come as Türkiye reportedly continues evaluating potential locations for new military installations.

Erdogan and Syria’s al-Sharaa to meet in Antalya for diplomatic talks

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to travel to Türkiye on Friday to attend a diplomatic forum in Antalya — his second official visit to the country since assuming office following Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

On the sidelines of the forum, President Erdogan is expected to hold discussions with al-Sharaa focused on advancing a military cooperation agreement between the two governments.

Both Türkiye and Israel signal no desire for direct confrontation

Despite increased friction, both Ankara and Tel Aviv have indicated they do not seek confrontation over Syria. The current focus remains on preventing escalation while securing national interests through diplomatic channels.

Recently, Türkiye’s Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus dismissed the possibility of a military conflict between Türkiye and Israel.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 150th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Kurtulmus said, “Under no circumstances do I believe Israel would be irrational enough to risk a conflict with Türkiye.”

“Any other scenario would be madness,” he added.

There are also reports that Türkiye and Israel have entered discussions over the establishment of a deconfliction line in Syria aimed at preventing direct clashes and avoiding misunderstandings between their militaries, according to two Western officials who spoke to Middle East Eye.

Two Western sources indicated that there has been progress in the talks.

A source familiar with the situation noted that negotiations on a Syria deconfliction line began immediately after the Israeli airstrikes.

“Both Israeli and Turkish officials issued matching statements the same day, signaling they do not seek conflict in Syria,” the source said, describing the messaging as “coordinated.”