ANKARA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that U.S. President Donald Trump had asked Türkiye to help persuade Hamas to accept his plan to end the Gaza war and that Turkish officials have since engaged in talks to support the peace process.

"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 convince them. We promptly contacted our counterparts regarding this matter," the semi-official Anadolu Agency on Wednesday quoted Erdogan as saying as he was aboard a flight from Azerbaijan to Türkiye.

Erdogan said Hamas has shown a more constructive stance than Israel to date and that similar constructive behavior from Israel has not been seen. He said Türkiye will work to resolve the Israel-Palestine issue on the basis of a two-state solution.

"Our priority is to secure an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire as soon as possible. It is essential that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza without delay and without interruption," he said.

Erdogan stressed that Gaza must remain Palestinian territory and that it is important for Palestinians to ultimately manage Gaza's administration.

He added that questions about how security will be provided and how any stabilization force would be formed and operated can be evaluated in detail. Enditem