White House hints at potential Trump visit to Türkiye during Middle East tour

The White House left open the possibility Friday of additional stops on U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle East trip, amid reports the administration is considering a visit to Türkiye.

“I don’t have any details about the president’s overseas trip, other than to say he is surely going to Saudi Arabia. There could be more countries as part of that trip. We’re working on the details,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in response to a reporter’s question.

CNN reported Thursday that Trump is weighing adding Türkiye to his Middle East itinerary, although anonymous sources cited by the news outlet said no decision has been made, and details are still being finalized.

A senior White House official told CNN that Trump discussed the potential visit during a recent phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

‘Very good’ relations with Türkiye

On Monday, Trump spoke positively about his relationship with Erdogan while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

“I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader,” Trump said.

He described Erdogan as “a tough guy, and he’s very smart, and he did something that nobody was able to do,” referring to his belief that “it was Turkey” that played a role in the downfall of Syria’s longtime leader, Bashar Assad.

If the visit happens, it would mark Trump’s first presidential trip to Türkiye. His predecessors, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, visited in 2004, 2009, and 2015, respectively.