Turkey played a key role in securing the release of five Thai hostages who had been held in Gaza for nearly 16 months, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan © X
Turkey played a key role in securing the release of five Thai hostages who had been held in Gaza for nearly 16 months, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency.
The report states that Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) engaged in negotiations with Hamas under the direct orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The five Thai nationals were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during Hamas' attack on southern Israel. They were freed on Thursday, alongside three Israeli hostages, as part of the third hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
In an effort to mediate the release, President Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Turkey’s intelligence chief met with a Hamas delegation in Ankara on Wednesday. The delegation was led by Mohammed Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas' Shura Council.
This latest development underscores Turkey’s diplomatic engagement in regional conflicts and its active role in humanitarian negotiations related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
While Ankara supports Hamas, it keeps diplomatic channels open with Israel.
By Antoione Khoury
Israel killed a commander of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in an airstrike on southern Lebanon on Friday, further testing a ceasefire that halted last year's war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah group.
Turkey wants no confrontation with Israel in Syria after repeated Israeli attacks on military sites there undermined the new government's ability to deter threats, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Reuters on Friday.
Israeli troops moved into an area of northern Gaza to expand what they call a security zone around the edge of the enclave, the military said on Friday, days after the government announced plans to seize large areas with an operation in the south.
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