U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could play a constructive role in helping resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back from the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump said Erdoğan “can help,” noting that the Turkish leader enjoys respect in Moscow.
“He is respected in Russia – I can’t say about Ukraine. But President [Vladimir] Putin respects him, and he’s my friend,” Trump told journalists.
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The comments came shortly after Trump, Erdoğan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed a ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip, bringing an end to weeks of hostilities.
“This is a tremendous day for peace – a tremendous day for the Middle East,” Trump said, calling the Gaza deal the “biggest and most complex peace agreement” of his presidency. “They always say a world war will start in the Middle East, but it won’t. We’re not going to let that happen.”
The ceasefire took effect on October 10, with Hamas subsequently handing over 20 Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The group is expected to transfer the remains of 28 deceased hostages in the coming days. Israel said it released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the deal.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, co-chaired by the U.S. and Egypt, was convened to mark the ceasefire’s entry into force and to launch a new framework for regional peace talks.
The signing also underscored Turkey’s growing diplomatic weight, as Erdoğan positioned Ankara as both a mediator in Gaza and, potentially, a bridge between Russia and the West on the Ukrainian issue.
