President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Sunday that Türkiye's message during a Gaza-focused meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in late September had left an impression on U.S. President Donald Trump.
"At the U.N. General Assembly, during the meeting we held with Trump, we gave our message especially with Muslim countries, but our message, as Türkiye, left an impression on Trump," Erdoğan said during a meeting with university students in Istanbul.
"We will continue on our path with determination in the period ahead. There will be no stepping back. If we step back, we would not be able to account for it before God or before Gaza," he added.
On Gaza, Erdoğan affirmed that Ankara is "taking every step," recalling his speech at the U.N. General Assembly before all delegates.
"... Israeli delegates were seated at the tables across from me. I delivered that speech while looking them straight in the face. You do not go to war against cowards. We are not cowards," he said.
Expressing Ankara's resolve on the Gaza issue, he vowed no retreat.
Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye's unique global position, noting that Ankara will host a NATO leaders’ summit.
"We previously hosted it in Istanbul, and now we will host this summit in Ankara as well. Of course, in Ankara, we are preparing a crescent-and-star concept."
