Trump Praises Turkish President Erdogan's Role in Gaza Ceasefire

US President Donald Trump has extended public gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his instrumental role in facilitating the ceasefire agreement for Gaza. The acknowledgment came during the formal signing ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh, where Trump highlighted the Turkish leader's consistent support and diplomatic effectiveness throughout the negotiation process.

Speaking alongside President Erdogan with Egyptian and Qatari leaders present, Trump offered specific praise for Türkiye's capabilities and its leader's reliability. "This gentleman from a place called Türkiye has one of the most powerful armies, actually, in the world. It's much more powerful than he even lets known," Trump stated, adding that Erdogan has consistently been available whenever needed and describing their long-standing relationship as a productive friendship.

The public commendation occurred during a summit hosted by Egypt with the stated objective of conclusively ending the war in Gaza and establishing conditions for regional stability. The diplomatic breakthrough follows Monday's prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel, which saw hundreds of Palestinian detainees released from Israeli prisons in return for all remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

President Trump also addressed ongoing operations to locate the remains of hostages who died during captivity, indicating that search teams are actively working in coordination with Israeli authorities to recover bodies in identified areas. The ceasefire agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement following extensive military operations in Gaza that resulted in substantial casualties and widespread destruction across the Palestinian territory since October 2023.