King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the President of Egypt, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, separately spoke by phone with Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, on Wednesday, congratulating him on his victory. Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, won the election on Tuesday with over 270 electoral votes against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. The Egyptian presidency stated that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi congratulated Trump during their phone call. The Egyptian presidency reported that Trump mentioned that el-Sisi was the first international figure to congratulate him. According to Reuters, a knowledgeable source in Ankara stated that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed hope for improved relations between the two countries regarding cooperation in the fight against terrorism during his phone call with Trump. This source described the phone conversation between the Turkish president and the President-elect as serious and sincere. Meanwhile, King Salman, in his phone call with Trump, stated that Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen its "strategic and historical" relations with the U.S. and to cooperate "jointly to establish peace and stability in the Middle East and the world." The official Saudi news agency reported that the President-elect also emphasized the "development of bilateral relations" between the two countries during this call. Saudi Arabia has close ties with the U.S., but in recent months, the U.S. Congress passed a bill allowing families of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue Riyadh due to the possible role of elements linked to the Saudi government in these attacks. Barack Obama initially vetoed this bill using his position, but the Senate and House of Representatives overruled Obama's veto with a decisive majority vote in October of this year. Fifteen of the nineteen perpetrators of the September 11 attacks were Saudi nationals, although Riyadh strongly denies any connection to the Saudi government. In this context, Netanyahu welcomed Trump's victory, and Hamas issued warnings. Reactions to Trump's victory came from around the world: Putin sent a congratulatory telegram. Donald Trump was introduced as the winner of the 2016 presidential election in the U.S.
Phone Calls from Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Donald Trump
King Salman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in separate phone calls. This marks a significant moment for U.S. relations with these key Middle Eastern leaders, especially in the context of ongoing tensions over terrorism and past grievances. The calls indicate a potential shift in diplomatic relations as these leaders express hope for improved cooperation.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
King Salman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in separate phone calls, indicating a desire for improved relations and cooperation on issues like terrorism.
- Trump won the election with over 270 electoral votes against Hillary Clinton.
- The calls from Middle Eastern leaders suggest a potential shift in diplomatic relations with the U.S.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The U.S. has historically maintained strong ties with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, while relations with Iran have been strained due to various geopolitical conflicts.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%