Synopsis
On January 30, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with a Hamas delegation, including Muhammad Darwish, amid ongoing efforts to uphold a ceasefire in Gaza. Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to highlighting the realities of the situation and maintaining dialogue with international parties regarding the Palestinian issue.Key Takeaways
- The meeting included high-ranking Turkish officials.
- Erdogan emphasized the spirit of resistance in Gaza.
- Türkiye remains committed to revealing the realities in Gaza.
- A three-phase ceasefire agreement began on January 19.
- Hostage exchanges are ongoing between Hamas and Israel.
Ankara, Jan 30 (NationPress) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held discussions with a delegation from Hamas, which featured Muhammad Darwish, the leader of the Shura Council, as per a statement from Erdogan's office.
The meeting included prominent Turkish officials such as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization Chief Ibrahim Kalin, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Senior Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Cagatay Kilic, and Presidential Chief of Staff Hasan Dogan.
During this meeting, Erdogan conveyed to the Hamas delegation that the group’s 471-day struggle in Gaza has reaffirmed the enduring spirit of resistance, as reported by the Xinhua news agency and quoted by the semi-official Anadolu Agency.
Erdogan asserted that Türkiye will persist in its efforts to reveal the realities in Gaza, expressing optimism regarding the successful implementation of the Gaza ceasefire.
The Turkish President has consistently showcased Türkiye's firm position on the Palestinian issue and has maintained dialogues with both Hamas and various international stakeholders concerning the conflict.
A three-phase ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas commenced on January 19, ushering in a period of six weeks of tranquility and instilling hope for an end to 15 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have severely affected the region, as well as for the release of numerous hostages.
On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel has been completed, executed under the original terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Earlier, Israel received a list of hostages anticipated to be freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Thursday, which included three Israeli and five Thai citizens, according to Israeli sources.
This list was handed over to mediators by the Palestinian armed organization ahead of the expected release of a third batch of hostages, as stated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Previously, Gaza witnessed the second hostage exchange wherein Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers in return for 200 Palestinian detainees, forming part of the six-week ceasefire that commenced on January 19.
