UPDATE - Erdogan-Trump meeting 'better than great,' says US envoy to Türkiye

ADDS MORE QUOTES FROM US ENVOY

By Michael Hernandez and Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump's more than two-hour sit-down with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "better than great," the US envoy to Türkiye said Thursday.

"I think it was better than great, in my humble opinion. Two amazing leaders from very different parts of the world, from different points of view, had a real understanding and respect for each other," Tom Barrack told reporters outside the White House after the meeting concluded.

He went on to describe the meeting as “historic.”

“The team is first-class. Blended perfectly on all the issues with the US team,” Barrack told reporters following the Oval Office talks. “President Trump was graceful, kind, understanding, strong on the issues that they needed to talk (about). They're both very strong. And honestly, it was historic.”

When asked if the US supports a unified Syria, Barrack underscored his support for the country’s territorial integrity, stressing that fractured governance systems based on sectarian or ethnic divisions have failed elsewhere.

“None of these fractured federalisms or confessionalism have worked anywhere,” he said, pointing to Lebanon and Iraq as examples.

Asked about Gaza, Barrack emphasized the urgency of stopping the “senseless killing.”

“Gaza has to end...Until Gaza ends, everybody's confused,” he said. “I think they're both in line with saying Gaza has to end.”

When asked what he means by “end,” he responded: “That means stop the senseless killing...everybody agrees we have to stop the killing.”

Barrack made the comments after the leaders met for over two hours, much of it behind closed doors, at the executive mansion followed by a working lunch.

Erdogan was earlier in New York to attend this year's session of the UN General Assembly. He arrived Wednesday in the nation's capital, where he stayed at Blair House, the US president’s official guest residence.