Türkiye’s message in Gaza-focused meeting in September 'left impression on Trump' : President Erdoğan

Türkiye's message during a Gaza-focused meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in late September left an impression on US President Donald Trump, the Turkish president said on Sunday.

"At the UN 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," Recep Tayyip 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, Ankara is "taking every step" said Erdoğan, reminding the speech he gave at the UN General Assembly in front of all of the 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 determination on Gaza issue, he vowed that they would not step back from that.

Erdoğan said that Türkiye has a unique position in the world, adding 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."