ZOA Urges Trump: Also Recognize that Erdogan is a Genocidal Muslim Extremist Who Aids Hamas & Condemns U.S.-Israel Actions and Is as Untrustworthy as Iran’s Leaders
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
ZOA strongly praises President Donald Trump for ending the disastrous MOU with the Iranian regime; striking over eighty Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz and revoking sanctions waivers that enabled Iran to sell oil (after Iran attacked three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz); and calling the Iranian regime’s leaders “liars,” “cheaters,” “vicious,” “violent,” “murderers and assassins.”
At the same time, we urge President Trump to recognize that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also a genocidal Muslim fanatic who continues to finance and harbor Hamas, is the same as Iran’s leaders, and should not receive the F-35 U.S. war planes. See detailed discussion of F-35 issue at “ZOA to U.S.: Don’t Sell F-35 War Planes to Turkey’s Genocidal, Iranian-Russian-China-Iran-Hamas-Allied Regime – Sale Endangers U.S., Israel and Others.”
ZOA praises President Trump for stating, at a presser at the NATO summit in Ankara earlier yesterday, when asked if the MOU and ceasefire are dead (video):
“To me, I think it’s [the MOU and ceasefire is] over. I don’t want to deal with them [the Iranian regime] anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. And they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned it’s over…As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re [Iranian leaders are] liars.
“We make a deal. If I make a deal with him [pointing at NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte], we have a deal. He goes out, he talks. We [U.S. and Iran] make a deal, everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They [Iran] go outside, talk to the press, they say ‘we never even talked about it.’ There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”. . They’re liars. They’re cheats. They’re sick people. They’ve hurt their people. They’ve killed 54,000 people as of now that were protesting. You know, when people say, ‘how come they [the protesters] haven’t taken over?’ They [the Iranian protestors] can’t take over, because they’re dead. They [the Iranian regime] killed them [the Iranian protestors]. Nobody’s going to take over. They [the protestors] have no guns, and the other side has machine guns. And they’re killing them. The press doesn’t report it. But they’re [the Iranian regime are] bad people. They’re bad people. And frankly, I don’t want to waste my time with them.”
Well said.
At the presser at the conclusion of the NATO Summit, Pres. Trump also correctly noted: “We’ve been doing things that we should have been doing 47 years ago with Iran”; insisted that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon; reminded listeners that Khamenei killed a lot of his people; and described how the Iranian regime has been targeting President Trump as “target one” on their assassination lists, issued as recently as yesterday.
Indeed, one week ago, on June 30, 2026, Iran’s 88-member Assembly of Experts – Iran’s most senior clerics, who select Iran’s Supreme Leader – stated that it is a religious duty that “must not be neglected under any circumstances” to assassinate the “criminal” President Trump and “wicked” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Pro-regime Iranians are holding up “kill Trump” signs and burning pictures of President Trump in effigy. (ZOA’s Morton Klein and dozens of other American Jews and U.S. current and past officials are also on Iranian regime hit lists.)
It is concerning, however, that President Trump praised Pres. Erdogan as a “great man” during the same presser. President Trump’s two alleged examples of Erdogan’s greatness were both concerning.
The first alleged example was that Erdogan released jailed American evangelical Pastor Andrew Brunson, after a mere soft request from President Trump. Of course, Turkey should not have arrested and jailed the pastor to begin with. Moreover, in order to obtain the pastor’s release, the Trump administration had to twist Turkey’s arms by sanctioning the Turkish officials who wrongfully arrested Pastor Brunson, and by increasing tariffs on Turkish products. The Trump administration also had to engage in strenuous negotiations to fend off Turkey’s efforts to trade the wrongfully-jailed pastor for Erdogan’s political rival – whom Erdogan wanted to bring to Turkey to jail or worse.
The second alleged example was that Erdogan “stayed out” of the war involving Israel at President Trump’s request. In fact, far from staying out, on February 28, 2026, Erdogan condemned the U.S.-Israeli actions against Iran. Turkey, moreover, helped Iran by refusing to allow the U.S. to use its airspace, sea or land bases – thereby demonstrating that Turkey is not a real or reliable ally of the United States. Turkey continues to harbor and protect U.S.-sanctioned convicted Hamas terrorist-murderers and leading operatives, who use their base in Turkey to obtain funding and propaganda for Hamas, and orchestrate major terror attacks on our ally Israel. Erdogan and other top Turkish officials often meet with top Hamas officials; and announce and observe national days of mourning for former Hamas leaders. Erdogan repeatedly calls Hamas a “resistance” group and “liberation” group and denies that Hamas is a terrorist group; and Erdogan and FM Fidan falsely accuse Israel of committing genocide; and incite genocide against the Jewish people by saying Israel is a threat to everybody in the world and can no longer be tolerated. Erdogan’s record, moreover, has included meeting with Iran’s former Supreme Leader Khamenei and Iranian officials in Iran and signing a cooperation agreement with Iran. And even if it were true that Turkey “stayed out” at Pres. Trump’s request, temporarily refraining from aggressive anti-American and anti-Israel action does not qualify Turkey as a U.S. ally or entitle Turkey to the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
We urge President Trump to be cautious and aware of Erdogan’s deceptiveness, to examine Erdogan’s nefarious actions, and to understand that Erdogan is as dangerous and untrustworthy as Iran.
Most importantly, we strongly urge President Trump to ensure the security of the U.S. and our allies by denying the sale of F-35s and U.S. jet engines to Erdogan. Numerous members of Congress, including Republicans and other conservatives, oppose the sale. They include Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former Vice President Mike Pence (R-IN), Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and author and national talk show host Mark Levin. Bipartisan Congressmembers have also strongly expressed that such a sale may enable enemies including Russia, China and Pakistan to learn important technological secrets endangering U.S. security.