File Photo:An antenna lies amidst debris at the scene of an Israeli strike in Syria's southern Hama governorate. AFP
Trump, speaking alongside key ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, touted his "great relations" with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an avenue for negotiations.
"I told the prime minister, I said, just Bibi if you have a problem with Turkey, I really think I'm going to be able to work it out," Trump told reporters, using Netanyahu's nickname.
"You know, I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader, and I think we'll be able to work it out," he added.
Turkey is a key backer of the coalition in Syria that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December after almost 14 years of civil war.
Israel has carried out strikes and ground incursions into southern Syria and occupied territories including the UN buffer zone in the Occupied Golan Heights.
The United Nations deemed this incursion a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria.
The Israeli army had advanced beyond its expanded buffer zone in southwestern Syria and detained Syrian civilians, intensifying their incursion into the region.
Syria's southern region, including Daraa and Quneitra, has witnessed growing tensions and clashes between Syrian residents and the occupying Israeli forces.
On Thursday, nine civilians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike on the city of Daraa.
The assault followed a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting the airports in Homs and Hama and a research centre in Damascus.
Syria accused Israel on Thursday of mounting a deadly destabilisation campaign.
Israel has been establishing military bases in Syria and destructing the Syrian army, taking advantage of the disarray caused by the fall of the previous regime.
Trump appeared to acknowledge Turkey's dominance in Syria, saying he told Erdogan he had "taken it over through surrogates."
"I said, 'Congratulations, you've done what nobody's been able to do in 2,000 years. You've taken over Syria.' With different names, but same thing," Trump said.
Netanyahu, who was visiting Washington, meanwhile voiced Israeli concerns over Turkish influence in Syria while touting the US president as a mediator.
"We've had neighborly relations with Turkey that have deteriorated, and we don't want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack in Israel," he said.
Turkey's foreign ministry on Thursday said, "the provocative statements made by the Israelis towards our country reflect their mentality and the expansionist and aggressive policies of the racist Israeli government".
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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