The meeting between the leader of the Hamas Islamist movement in Qatar, Mr. Ismail Haniyeh, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was the first official contact in more than 3 months.
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| Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Source: AFP) |
Diplomatic sources said on January 21 that the leader of the Hamas Islamist movement in Qatar, Mr. Ismail Haniyeh, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on January 20 in Türkiye.
This is the first official contact between the two sides in more than three months.
The main points of discussion were the capture of some 250 hostages by Hamas militants during their unprecedented attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the release of the remaining captives, along with establishing a “ceasefire as soon as possible,” the source said.
In addition, the two sides also discussed "increasing humanitarian aid... and a two-state solution for lasting peace".
The last formal exchange between Foreign Minister Fidan and Mr. Haniyeh was a phone call on October 16, 2023.
From the beginning, immediately after the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held phone calls with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. President Erdogan declared that Türkiye is ready to take on the role of mediator in the current Israel-Hamas tension.
In 2007, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul offered to mediate the release of three Israeli soldiers held by Hamas and Hezbollah. Israeli President Shimon Peres thanked Türkiye at the time.
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