ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday voiced support for what appears to be an imminent deal between Hamas and Israel over the release of some hostages in Gaza, adding that his country was in contact with Qatar on the issue.
“Negotiations on the return of the hostages are currently continuing. Both our foreign minister and the head of the national intelligence agency are jointly working with Qatar,” Erdogan said. “We hope to receive a positive outcome as soon as possible.”
A potential Qatari-mediated deal reportedly includes the release of roughly 50 civilians that Hamas took hostage during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in exchange for the release of an unknown number of Palestinian women and minors in Israeli custody. A four-day truce is also part of the agreement, Haaretz reported Tuesday.
Speaking in Algiers next to his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Erdogan said his country was in constant contact with the Qatari authorities on the potential deal. Unlike the United States and European Union, Turkey doesn’t consider Hamas a terror group and maintains close ties with the militant group’s political leadership based in Doha.
