What was in the latest closed-door meeting between Turkish leaders and Hamas?

The two sides discussed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage exchange deal with Israel.

Người dân Palestine kiểm tra thiệt hại tại bệnh viện Al-Shifa sau khi lực lượng Israel rút khỏi nơi đây sau chiến dịch kéo dài 2 tuần, trong bối cảnh xung đột đang diễn ra giữa Israel và nhóm Hồi giáo Hamas, tại thành phố Gaza, ngày 1/4. (Nguồn: Reuters)

Palestinians inspect damage at Al-Shifa hospital after Israeli forces withdrew from it following a two-week operation amid ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, April 1. (Source: Reuters)

CNN Turkey and TRT Haber television channel reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and political leader of the Hamas Islamist movement Ismail Haniyeh held talks in Istanbul on April 20, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to TRT Haber , at the above closed meeting, the two sides mentioned the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the hostage exchange agreement with Israel and the transportation of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territories.

Earlier, on April 17, speaking before the Turkish Parliament, President Erdogan compared the Hamas movement to the Kuvayi Milliye volunteer force operating in Anatolia from 1918-1922 during the war of independence, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923.

In another development, on the same day, April 20, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that tensions between Israel and Iran should not distract countries around the world from the situation in the Gaza Strip and that the top priority of the international community should be to end Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Istanbul, Mr. Fidan accused Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the West's support for Israel as the main causes of instability in the Middle East.

“Any developments that could distract us from this reality should be ignored... Our top priority should be the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the two-state solution,” Turkey's top diplomat noted.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry visited Türkiye amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following an alleged Israeli attack on Iran. However, Israel has not commented on the incident.

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