Türkiye open to hosting Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel: FM Fidan

Türkiye is willing to accept Palestinians released from Israeli prisons as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during an official visit to Qatar.

‘Türkiye willing to host’

Speaking at a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha, Fidan stated that Türkiye, along with other nations, is prepared to host freed Palestinian detainees if required under the terms of the agreement.

“As part of the cease-fire agreement, one of the conditions involves ensuring that certain freed Palestinian prisoners do not remain in Palestinian territories. To support the agreement, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed that Türkiye is willing to host them, along with other countries,” Fidan said.

He stressed that ensuring the implementation and continuation of the cease-fire is a priority, adding that other nations must also fulfill their commitments to maintain stability.

Türkiye opposes forced displacement of Palestinians

Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s position against the forced displacement of Palestinians, stating that Ankara fully supports the Cairo Declaration, which calls for the protection of Palestinian rights and an end to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

“We oppose any plans to displace the Palestinian people from Gaza or force them to relocate to other countries. It is everyone’s duty to stand against such attempts,” Fidan said.

“The ceasefire in Gaza must continue. Israel needs to move away from preventing the delivery of aid to Gaza. The international community must play its part. We are totally against the project of expelling the Palestinian people from Gaza and sending them to other countries. This is really a proposal against humanitarian law.”

Fidan stated that everyone should stand against it.

Türkiye monitoring developments in Syria

The Turkish foreign minister also addressed regional security concerns, stating that Türkiye is closely watching the new administration in Syria regarding its stance on the terrorist organization PKK/YPG.

“We are closely following the new Syrian administration’s approach toward PKK/YPG and will not tolerate any situation where terrorism finds a foothold in Syria,” he said.

Fidan underlined that Türkiye remains committed to preventing the presence and expansion of terrorist organizations in its southern borders and will take necessary measures to ensure regional stability.

The Syrian people must take control of their own administration and transition process. As neighboring countries, we are in communication on how we can assist in this matter. Significant steps need to be taken regarding the reconstruction of the country and its urgent needs. We are working together to find immediate solutions to Syria’s pressing issues.

The lifting of international sanctions is crucial. The unification of armed groups under a national army is important. The fight against terrorism is also a key issue.

The Damascus administration continues its efforts to reach out to and find a solution regarding the YPG issue. As Türkiye, we are closely monitoring these developments. Our hope is that the issue can be resolved without bloodshed. However, we cannot tolerate terrorism taking root in Syria.

Ensuring an uninterrupted ceasefire in Gaza is a priority for us. After the ceasefire, we have observed difficulties in delivering aid to the region. Israel must abandon its obstructive approach. As Türkiye, we have great sensitivity on this issue. We are making every effort to deliver aid in the best and fastest way possible.

During Syria’s transition process, we are in close communication with both Syria and our regional partners. There was a need for a cabinet, and with the formation of a government, we believe major uncertainties will be eliminated.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan unite in fight against Daesh

At the end of his speech, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed recent issues with the United States in response to a question.

“We have shared this issue with our American friends many times. At this point, the ideal outcome would be to clarify the real’security issue’ for the Americans. The core issue here is that the YPG is providing detention services for Daesh prisoners and managing the camp population. Other than this, there is no additional security concern.”

Fidan stated that the YPG lacks independent capability in the fight against Daesh and terrorism, emphasizing that the group itself is a terrorist organization.

“Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan have the capability to combat Daesh together. We have already held preliminary discussions, and we hope to take concrete steps as four nations,” Fidan said.

Fidan also expressed Ankara’s expectation that the United States will abandon policies that pose a threat to Türkiye’s security.

“We hope that our American friends will abandon this policy, which threatens Türkiye. At the same time, we can work towards an alternative formula that ensures Daesh detainees remain in prison.”

He also noted that the new administration in Syria has expressed readiness to take responsibility in this matter, while Türkiye is also prepared to provide full support.

“We hope that with the decision of Mr. Trump, the ongoing mistake in the region will come to an end. This issue not only fuels instability in the region but is also an open wound damaging Türkiye-U.S. relations. We wish for this matter to be resolved.”

Qatar-Türkiye diplomatic cooperation

During his visit, Fidan held discussions with Qatari officials regarding bilateral relations, the Gaza ceasefire, and broader Middle East security concerns.

“Türkiye and Qatar have strategic relations and this relationship contributes greatly to the peace, security and prosperity of the region,” FM Fidan said.

“We talked about what needs to be done for Syria’s urgent needs. Syria’s outstanding problems need an international solution,” he added.

“The people have urgent problems that require solutions. As Türkiye and Qatar, we are working in close cooperation on what can be done. Certain projects have already been finalized, and our goal is to bring them to life,” Fidan concluded.