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

Türkiye hopes to achieve positive results on a hostage exchange deal between Israel and the 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.

Stressing that he discussed the humanitarian crisis in Palestine with Tebboune, Erdogan highlighted that Algeria is among countries providing the strongest and most sincere support to the Palestinian cause.

“Without achieving a just political solution to the Palestinian issue, the establishment of lasting peace and stability in our region is not possible,” he said. “We have announced that we are ready to act as guarantors, along with regional countries, in the implementation of a fair peace agreed upon by Israel and Palestine.”

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.

‘Middle East is like volcano’

Tebboune said both leaders discussed developments in the Middle East in all dimensions.

A great tragedy has occurred due to the crimes committed by the “Zionist regime” in the Gaza Strip, he said.

The establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem based on the 1967 borders is the legitimate right of the Palestinian people, said Tebboune.

“The Middle East is like a volcano. Either this problem (Palestine issue) will be resolved, or it will progress in a different direction,” he said.

Stressing the need to immediately stop crimes committed by the “occupying state,” Tebboune said: “We emphasized the importance of holding the perpetrators of the genocide in Gaza accountable in the International Criminal Court,” referring to discussions with Erdogan.

“For the first time in 75 years, those who committed these crimes (by Israel) will face justice,” he said.

Tebboune drew attention to attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

“We emphasized the need to stop the settler terrorism in the West Bank,” he added.