Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said President Trump asked Turkey to help persuade Hamas to back his Gaza peace plan and that Ankara has been outlining the necessary steps to the group.
Earlier Wednesday, Hamas said it exchanged lists of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners for a potential swap and was optimistic about talks in Egypt on Trump’s proposal. Turkey, a key participant in Egypt’s Gaza peace talks and a vocal critic of Israel’s offensive—which it calls a genocide—has halted all trade with Israel and urged global action against its government. However, upon returning from Azerbaijan, President Erdogan said Trump asked Turkey to help persuade Hamas to accept the proposed peace plan.
According to a transcript of his comments shared by his office, Erdogan said:
“We have been in contact with Hamas throughout this process. We are in contact with them now too… We are explaining to them what the most appropriate way is, what needs to be done for Palestine to march with commitment into the future… Both in our America visit and our latest phone call, we explained to Mr. Trump how a solution in Palestine can be achieved… He specifically requested that we speak to Hamas and convince them. We rapidly got in touch with our counterparts on this.”
Asked about a possible Turkish troop deployment to post-war Gaza, President Erdogan said discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh are key to addressing security. Still, the immediate focus is on achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, ensuring access to aid, and rebuilding Gaza. Erdogan also said Ankara is ready to support all post-war efforts in Gaza, emphasizing that the enclave must be part of a Palestinian state and governed by Palestinians.
Turkey’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, who participated in the previous Doha talks, is now involved in the Egypt negotiations.
Turkish President Erdogan on the Israeli government:
They have surpassed even Hitler in crimes of genocide. pic.twitter.com/TscYj6nt42
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 8, 2025
