US President Donald Trump asked Turkey to “persuade” the Hamas terror group to accept his plan for ending the Gaza war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells Turkish journalists, according to a transcript shared by his office.

Axar.az informs, citing Times of Israel, “Both during our visit to the United States and in our most recent phone call, we explained to Mr. Trump how a solution could be achieved in Palestine. He specifically requested that we meet with Hamas and persuade them,” Erdogan says late Tuesday on board a plane returning from Azerbaijan.

“Hamas responded by telling us that it is ready for peace and negotiations. In other words, it did not take a contrary stance. I consider this a very valuable step. Hamas is ahead of Israel,” Erdogan adds.

“Our colleagues are in Sharm El-Sheikh right now,” he says, referring to the site of ongoing, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. “We have always been in contact with Hamas throughout this process. We are still in contact now.”

“We are explaining what the most reasonable path is and what needs to be done for Palestine to move forward with confidence into the future,” he adds.

Erdogan also says that in any post-war scenario, Gaza must remain part of a Palestinian state and that it must be governed by Palestinians.