Türkiye pushes Israel to match Hamas' constructive ceasefire moves
Türkiye's foreign minister says Hamas is taking “constructive steps” toward a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and urges Israel to show similar resolve, while Ankara and Cairo vow to deepen cooperation on regional and economic fronts.
The Palestinian group Hamas is demonstrating a willingness to take constructive steps toward making the current ceasefire in Gaza permanent, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday, calling on Israel to show the same determination.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, Fidan stressed that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestine and must continue to be governed by Palestinians within a clear UN-backed framework.
“Gaza is part of Palestine, it must remain so and be treated as such,” Fidan said, urging Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid and to open all border crossings.
Egypt’s help to deliver Türkiye’s aid to Gaza
The minister also expressed appreciation for Egypt’s assistance in facilitating the delivery of Turkish humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for the swift convening of an international reconstruction conference for the war-torn enclave.
“As winter approaches, the entry of medical and humanitarian aid has become even more urgent,” he added.
On bilateral ties, Fidan highlighted growing economic and defence cooperation between Ankara and Cairo, noting that Egypt is Türkiye’s largest trade partner in Africa, with a trade volume of $9 billion and a shared goal of reaching $15 billion in the coming years.
‘Erdogan will visit Egypt soon’
Abdelatty, for his part, described the talks in Ankara as “fruitful consultations” covering bilateral and regional issues, and announced that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend the next High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Cairo soon.
The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Cairo’s full support for Syria’s security, stability, and sovereignty, stressing that Damascus poses no threat to neighbouring countries.