Türkiye hoping for results on Israel-Hamas hostage swap as soon as possible, says President Erdogan

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye hopes to achieve positive results on a hostage exchange deal between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas as soon as possible, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Türkiye is in constant communication to solve the hostage crisis and expects to obtain positive results from the talks, Erdogan said at a joint news conference with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune after their meeting in the capital Algiers.

Erdogan said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with joint efforts from Qatar, were engaged in talks for the release of the hostages.

On Israel's bombardment of Gaza, Erdogan said attacks on hospitals, places of worship, other facilities in Gaza which should be under protection, and the forced displacement of people amounted to "inhumanity and barbarism."

Türkiye unequivocally rejects Israeli attacks in Gaza, which constitute collective punishment and war crimes, he said, underlining that Ankara's priority were a permanent cease-fire and unimpeded humanitarian aid.

"The establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem based on the 1967 borders is now inevitable. In this regard, we will continue to do our utmost," he stressed.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Authorities in Gaza said Monday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 has jumped to over 13,300 including 5,600 children and 3,550 women.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.