U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed gratitude to Türkiye on Thursday for its contribution to advancing the Gaza peace process, commending the collaboration between Ankara, Doha, and Cairo during the first meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington.

The first session of the Gaza Board of Peace, chaired by President Trump, was held at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, representing Türkiye in the new initiative, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

Witkoff highlighted the joint mediation efforts that helped pave the way for the current cease-fire in Gaza.

“There has been wonderful cooperation among the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, who mediated this process,” he said. Addressing Fidan directly, he added, “Hakan Fidan, you are a wonderful person, and so is President Erdoğan.”

The envoy emphasized that coordination between the United States and Türkiye, along with Egypt and Qatar, played a crucial role in advancing diplomatic efforts in Gaza. Witkoff expressed appreciation to all three countries individually for their contributions, underscoring their importance in moving the process forward.