Erdogan: I Reached Understanding with Trump on Ceasefire and Peace in Gaza

SadaNews - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that he reached an understanding with U.S. President Donald Trump on how to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, following talks at the White House yesterday, Thursday.

Erdogan's office, in a statement published today, Friday, quoted him as saying to reporters: "Our meeting was extremely important in terms of expressing the will to end the massacres in Gaza. Mr. Trump emphasized during the meeting the necessity of ending the fighting in Gaza and reaching a lasting peace."

He added: "We clarified how to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and all of Palestine, and subsequently achieve lasting peace. An understanding was reached in this regard... We stated that the two-state solution is the optimal framework for achieving lasting peace in the region, and that the current situation cannot continue."

He also mentioned that the participation of Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in the United Nations General Assembly is extremely important for bolstering the international legitimacy of the new Syrian government.

Erdogan explained that his talks with Trump on Thursday made "significant progress" in several areas, as they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in defense and trade.

He added that they exchanged views on steps to boost trade, including reconsidering tariffs to achieve their goal of increasing bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars.

He said: "We leave Washington feeling happy," adding that relations are progressing with mutual respect, according to the Reuters news agency.

His office quoted him in a statement published on Friday saying: "It is certainly impossible to settle all issues in one meeting. However, this meeting witnessed significant progress on many issues."