The White House on Friday did not rule out the possibility of President Donald Trump stopping in Turkey on his upcoming Middle East trip, following reports that such a visit was under consideration, according to the Anadolu news agency.
“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 Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in response to a reporter’s question.
CNN’s Arabic service reported Thursday that Trump was considering adding Turkey to his upcoming Middle East trip, but cited anonymous sources who said no decision has been made and that details are being finalized.
A senior White House official told CNN that Trump discussed the possible visit during a recent phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Trump on Monday spoke positively about his relationship with Erdoğan during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.
“I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader,” Trump said.
He described Erdoğan 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 orchestrated the downfall of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
If the visit materializes, it would be Trump’s first presidential trip to Turkey. George W. Bush visited in 2004, while Barack Obama made trips to the country in 2009 and 2015.
Trump is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in May as part of the Middle East trip.