Trump says he alone stopped Turkey from entering the war against Israel — a claim about US leverage over a major military power that's neutral-to-worrying for the region.

• Trump says Turkey's Erdogan dislikes Israel and its leader Netanyahu, and could have joined the war on the other side.
• He claims Erdogan stayed out only because of him, framing it as his personal doing.
• Trump praises Erdogan and Netanyahu both, even after Netanyahu said harsh things about Turkey.
• He highlights Turkey's size and strength — millions of soldiers and top US weapons — and its push to buy F-35 jets.

Outlook: Tensions between Turkey and Israel remain a risk, with Trump positioning himself as the buffer keeping them apart.