Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and the “urgent need” for a ceasefire during a meeting with Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the capital Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.
It was the first meeting between Erdogan and Haniyeh since October 7, when Israel began its military invasion into Gaza following Hamas' attack. Earlier this week, the Hamas leader held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.
"During the meeting, President Erdoğan said that Turkey continued its diplomatic efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the persecution of the Palestinians and emphasized at every opportunity the need for an end to the atrocities and the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire,” a statement from the Turkish presidency said.
Erdogan said Turkey had provided Gaza with more than 45,000 tons of humanitarian aid in order to “alleviate some of the suffering” and would continue to do so.