Fidan meets Hamas delegation to discuss ceasefire, prisoner exchange

ISTANBUL

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has engaged in discussions with senior Hamas officials in Istanbul to advance efforts towards a ceasefire that would facilitate a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.

According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Fidan met with Mohammad Darwish Ismail, Chairman of Hamas' Shura Council, and other key members of Hamas' Political Bureau.

The talks centered on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly in the northern regions, with Fidan reaffirming Türkiye's commitment to mobilizing international support against the crisis. He stressed that Türkiye would utilize all diplomatic avenues to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

Additionally, the meeting covered the current state of ceasefire negotiations, with a focus on achieving a prisoner exchange. Fidan also touched on intra-Palestinian reconciliation efforts, praising Egypt's recent hosting of talks in Cairo aimed at fostering unity among Palestinian factions.

During the meeting, Fidan expressed condolences to Hamas representatives over the death of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas' Political Bureau, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Meanwhile, Fidan met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, as part of the third Meeting of the 3+3 South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform.

The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the regional cooperation forum, focused on bilateral relations and regional issues, according to sources from the ministry.

The two ministers also discussed preparations for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's upcoming visit to Kazan, a city in southwestern Russia, for the BRICS Summit.

In addition to his talks with Lavrov, Fidan separately met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Their discussion focused on bilateral relations, regional developments, and the ongoing normalization process between Türkiye and Armenia, according to the information from two foreign ministries.

The 3+3 platform, which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, along with neighboring countries Iran, Russia, and Türkiye, aims to foster regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.

Foreign ministers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Russia joined Fidan for the Istanbul meeting.

The first talks in the 3+3 format were held in Moscow in December 2021 at the deputy foreign ministers’ level, also without Georgia's participation.