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Fidan said on Tuesday that Ankara was discussing the release of
foreigners, civilians, and children held by Hamas, and added
"many countries" had asked for Turkey's help in facilitating the
release of their citizens.
"Talks, work on the prisoner swap continue. There are talks and
meetings held through intelligence units, but, in the heat of
the first days, it was not possible to create a framework for
this," Fidan told representatives from Turkish media this week,
according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
In 2011, Israel swapped hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to win
the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held
for five years. The exchange was criticized at the time by some
Israelis as too lopsided.
Officials say Hamas has nearly 200 hostages in Gaza.
Fidan added that other countries, namely Qatar, were also
engaged in talks with Hamas leaders, who are currently in Qatar.
"We also speak to our friends, counterparts there from time to
time. There is nothing concrete at the moment," he was quoted as
saying. "The Americans, Germans (conveyed requests) regarding
their own citizens. There were those who asked for our help from
the first day in releasing their citizens."
Turkey has backed Palestinians in the past, while supporting a
two-state solution to the decades-old conflict with Israel. It
has offered to mediate in the conflict and sent humanitarian aid
to Gaza, which is stuck in Egypt as borders remained closed.
Ankara has also been working to mend long-strained ties with
Israel. Unlike the United States and European Union, Turkey does
not view Hamas as a terrorist group and hosts its members.
Ankara, which initially condemned civilian deaths and called for
restraint, has toughened its rhetoric against Israel, saying
Israel's response to Hamas in Gaza amounted to a "massacre', and
a violation of human rights and international law.
It sharply escalated its criticism after a blast on Tuesday that
killed hundreds of Palestinians at a Gaza hospital, which
Palestinians blamed on an Israeli air strike. Israel said the
blast was caused by Palestinian militants.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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