Trump praises Erdogan

US President Donald Trump has praised Turkey's role in the Gaza ceasefire deal. He called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "great" and stressed that Ankara is playing a very important role in regional influence.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for the Middle East on Sunday, Trump said Turkey has also played a "tremendous role". President Erdogan has done a great job. He has really helped a lot, because he is a very respected leader. His country is strong - the military is very strong. He has really contributed a lot.

He also said Qatar has also played a significant role in the Gaza ceasefire deal. He described Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as a "tremendous man".

Trump said his country is at the center of everything - it takes an hour and a half to get from the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia to get there. Qatar should start giving credit to Qatar.

President Trump also noted that the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Jordan have also played a role in the ceasefire talks.

After these remarks, Trump left for Israel.

He will then travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the ‘Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Conference’ will begin on Monday.

The conference, co-hosted with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability.

Turkey’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said that President Erdogan has been invited to attend the peace conference at the invitation of Sisi and Trump.

Source: Anadolu