Trump during meeting with Erdogan: We may reach an agreement to end the war in Gaza soon

SadaNews - On Thursday, US President Donald Trump stated that he believes an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip is close.

He added, "I need to meet with the Israeli side... I believe we can achieve that. I hope we can accomplish it. Many people are dying, but we want to bring back the hostages."

This came during his reception of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he might lift the sanctions imposed on Turkey very soon if his meeting with his Turkish counterpart goes well.

The United States had imposed sanctions on Turkish defense industries due to Ankara's purchase of the Russian "S-400" missile defense system in 2019. Erdogan hopes for a breakthrough with Trump that would lead to lifting the sanctions, according to Reuters.

The American president also stated that he would discuss with his Turkish counterpart the issue of Turkey's purchase of "F-16" and "F-35" fighter jets.

For his part, Erdogan, who was sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office, mentioned that he would discuss a range of issues including fighter jets and the Turkish "Halkbank," which faces US accusations of large-scale fraud and money laundering to help Iran evade American sanctions.

Trump praised Turkey for using US-made equipment.

He said he would also discuss with the Turkish president the provision of "Patriot" defense systems to Ankara.

Trump anticipated concluding "great" trade agreements with Erdogan, saying he might lift the sanctions imposed on Turkey.

As part of efforts to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Trump expressed his desire for Erdogan to stop purchasing Russian oil.

The American president noted that Erdogan could have a significant influence on Russia regarding its war in Ukraine, adding, "It’s time for Russia to stop the war."

The American president also stated that he would issue an "important announcement" regarding Syria today, but did not provide further details.

In response to a question from a reporter at the White House about Syria, Trump said, "I lifted the sanctions to allow them to catch their breath because those sanctions were very harsh, but I believe we need to issue an important announcement today."