By Janet Ekstract, İSTANBUL – Turkish President Erdoğan will attend the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on October 13, in Egypt where U.S. President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi will co-chair the summit. Türkiye’s communications chief Burhanettin Duran wrote on social media platform X: “Our president is scheduled to deliver a speech at the summit and to hold consultations with the leaders of the participating countries.” There will be more than 20 world leaders in attendance In addition to Erdoğan, other world leaders participating include French President Emmanuel Macron, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif and German Chancellor Fredrich Merz.
The peace summit come on the heels of the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, that saw all 20 living hostages released to the Red Cross, on October 13. The remainder of the first phase includes Israel’s agreement to release 2,000 Palestinians that were either imprisoned or detained. Those prisoners will be released once all living hostages are on Israeli territory, according to the Israeli military. Meanwhile, President Trump is now in Israel, addressing Israel’s parliament, the Knesset where he was told that there was “no one more deserving than you, President Trump” of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize next year – receiving a resounding standing ovation for his role in getting all the Israeli hostages released. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Trump for moving the capital to Jerusalem. “Thank you for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Thank you for standing up to the lies against Israel at the United Nations. Thank you for recognizing in your 2020 peace plan our rights in Judea and Samaria, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. Thank you for brokering the historic Abraham Accords. Thank you for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. Thank you for supporting Operation Rising Line and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer.” Netanyahu said “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House,” adding “No American president has ever done more for Israel.” Netanyahu lauded Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, saying he is committed “to this peace and “you are committed to this peace.”
Trump, addressing the Knesset said: “We gather on a day of soaring hope and renewed faith.” “Today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace.” Trump further stated: “This is not only the end of a war, the end of the age of terror and death. – the beginning of the age of faith and hope and God.” Trump added, “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.” He expressed his gratitude to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu saying “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with but that’s what makes him great.” Trump lauded the Arab world and all the Arab nations for their assistance in getting the hostages released which he said was a very unusual situation. He thanked his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff who received a standing ovation in the Knesset and said he chose Witkoff to negotiate because “He’s just a great guy and everybody loves him.” Finally, Trump lauded his son-in-law Jared Kushner on his efforts in creating the Abraham Accords. Of Kushner, Trump said “Let me give a special thanks to someone who truly loves Israel, loves it so much that my daughter converted.” Trump also congratulated U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio who received a standing ovation calling him, “The greatest secretary of state in the history of the United States.” The U.S. president also congratulated the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth who Trump refers to as the secretary of war. Finally, Trump said, “My personality is all about stopping wars,” adding but if the U.S. had to go to war, it won’t hesitate to show its strength. Finally, Trump concluded, “America joins you in those everlasting vows, never forget and never again.”
