Turkish FM Meets Hamas Leader in Doha

Doha, The Gulf Observer: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a significant meeting with Ismail Haniya, the political bureau chief of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, in Doha. This meeting took place on the sidelines of the sixth ministerial meeting of the Türkiye-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) High Level Strategic Dialogue.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met with Ismail Haniya, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, on the margins of the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of Türkiye-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) High Level Strategic Dialogue, in Doha,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday via X (formerly Twitter).

The dialogue between Fidan and Haniya occurs in the wake of a devastating Israeli assault on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, which has led to the deaths of dozens of Palestinians and left hundreds injured. The Palestinian government’s health ministry reports that the death toll from the Israeli attack has reached 274, with approximately 700 others wounded.

Earlier on Sunday, the Turkish foreign ministry issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp. “With this latest barbaric attack, Israel has added a new one to the list of war crimes it has committed in Gaza,” the ministry stated.

The Turkish government has urgently called on international institutions, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to take immediate measures to halt Israel’s aggressive actions. “We call on the institutions responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, the United Nations Security Council in particular, to exercise their responsibility to put an end to the commission of these crimes by Israel,” the statement read.

Foreign Minister Fidan’s participation in the Türkiye-GCC meeting highlights Turkey’s ongoing engagement in regional issues and its commitment to fostering high-level strategic dialogue with Gulf nations. The discussions aimed to address and enhance cooperation on various fronts, emphasizing Turkey’s role in regional diplomacy.