Türkiye to hold talks with HAMAS

Türkiye is stepping up efforts to settle the Gaza Strip as Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is going to visit Qatar on April 16 for talks with the authorities of the emirate and the leadership of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.

The Turkish side also intends to revive the activities of the Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League on Gaza, Hürriyet reports.

President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with the Emir of Qatar and called for increased cooperation between Muslim countries in view of the war in Gaza in a call on April 15, his office said.

These countries must increase their efforts to stop Israel's "brutal attacks" in the Gaza Strip and to hold the country accountable for "crimes against humanity," according to a statement from the presidential office.

Erdoğan told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani it is crucial to exert a restraining influence on Israel and to act with common sense in order to prevent the spread of tensions in the region.

The statement did not explicitly mention Iran's unprecedented direct attack on Israel. On April 14, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had called for de-escalation in a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart.

Relations between Israel and Türkiye massively deteriorated after the start of the Gaza war following the massacre by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas in Israel in October. Erdoğan has harshly criticized Israel's military action in Gaza, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing a "massacre," charges Israel rejects.