Erdoğan orders negotiations for release of civilians held by Hamas
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ordered negotiations to help secure the release of Israeli civilian hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants, a presidential source said.
The nature of the talks and whether Hamas and Israeli officials were both involved was not immediately clear.
Earlier reports that Turkish officials met Hamas in the capital Ankara for negotiations were false, the source added.
Mr Erdoğan is a vocal critic of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
On Wednesday, he condemned the Israeli bombardment of Gaza strip as a massacre while also denouncing killing of Israeli civilians.
Hamas insurgents carried out massacres last Saturday, killing more than 1,200 people in Israeli border towns and at a music festival.
Around 150 people were captured and are currently being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, some of them dual nationals.
Israel has responded to the killings with a heavy air bombardment of the Gaza area.
According to the territory’s Health Ministry, more than 1,200 people have been killed and around 5,800 others injured there.
(dpa/NAN)
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