WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump on Sunday praised Türkiye’s role in efforts to secure a ceasefire deal in Gaza, describing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “fantastic” and emphasizing Ankara’s influence in the region.

“Turkey was fantastic too. President Erdogan was fantastic. He really helped a lot, because he's very respected. He's got a very powerful nation. He's got a very, very powerful military. And he helped a lot,” Trump told reporters en route to the Middle East ahead of an international peace conference on the Gaza ceasefire.

He also said that Qatar helped with the deal, calling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani an “amazing man.”

“His country is right in the middle of everything, more so than any other country, more so than the UAE, where you have to fly an hour and a half to get there, more so than Saudi Arabia, where you have to fly an hour and a half to get there,” he said, adding that “Qatar should start getting some credit.”

The president also listed several other countries that, he said, played a role in the ceasefire negotiations, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Jordan.

Trump’s remarks came as he departed for Israel, where he is expected to meet with families of Israeli captives and address the Knesset, or parliament.

He will later head to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where he will join world leaders at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on Monday.

The summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, 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,” according to Cairo.

President Erdogan will attend the summit at the invitation of Sisi and Trump, Türkiye’s Communications Director Burhanettin Duran announced Sunday on social media.