Trump thanks Turkish President Erdogan for help in brokering Gaza ceasefire

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump on Monday thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his help in brokering a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

"This gentleman from a place called Turkey has one of the most powerful armies, actually, in the world. It's much more powerful than he even lets known," Trump said, flanked by the Turkish president on his left, and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on his right during a signing ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh.

"He's a tough cookie, but he's been my friend, and every time I've ever needed him, he's been there for me. So I just want to thank President Erdogan of Turkey," Trump added.

The US president said Erdogan "never fails us," calling him "amazing" and thanking him for their long-running friendship.

Egypt said the summit it is hosting aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability.”

Earlier Monday, Hamas and Israel carried out a prisoner swap that saw hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released from Israel's notorious Ofer military prison, and Israeli prison facilities in the Negev Desert. All 20 living Israeli hostages were also released from captivity.

Trump said efforts are underway to locate the bodies of the hostages who died in captivity, saying "they know where numerous are, you know, I guess five or six are in yet now."

"They're looking for bodies. They know the areas and the search parties out, and they're doing it in conjunction with Israel, and they're going to be finding quite a few of them," he said.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.