White House says Trump could visit more countries during Middle East tour amid reports of Turkiye stop

The White House left the door open Friday to US President Donald Trump taking additional stops during his visit to the Middle East next month amid reports that the administration is mulling a potential visit to Turkiye, Anadolu news agency reported.

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

CNN reported Thursday that Trump is considering adding Turkiye to his upcoming Middle East tour, but cited anonymous sources who said no decision has been made and details are being finalised.

A senior White House official told the news channel that Trump discussed the visit during a recent phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Trump on Monday expressed positive sentiments about his relationship with Erdogan as he hosted 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 orchestrated the downfall of Syria’s former longtime ruler Bashar Assad.

If the visit materialises, it would be Trump’s first presidential trip to Turkiye. His predecessors George W. Bush visited in 2004, while Barack Obama made trips to the country in 2009 and 2015.

READ: Trump plans Saudi, UAE and Qatar tour as first foreign trip of second term