Erdogan sees himself as the exiled “governor of Jerusalem” and seeks hegemony in the Middle East as the restorer of the Ottoman Empire.

In Trump’s view, Turkey may help stabilize the region, curb Russian influence and keep Ankara within the Western camp. Israel, however, cannot regard it as a normal Western ally.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly shown that Turkey’s foreign policy is driven less by alliance loyalty than by transactional advantage.