Istanbul [Turkey], October 13: Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan has ordered negotiations to help secure the release of Israeli civilian hostages kidnapped by Hamas, a presidential source told DPA.
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 are false, the source added.
Erdogan 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 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.
Source: Qatar Tribune
