Ankara, (UNI) Turkey wants to have direct talks with Syria to discuss refugee repatriations but Syria is not ready for negotiations if there are no strings attached, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Sunday.
“Unfortunately, they are not ready for a one-on-one meeting with us. What do we want? To fight against terrorism and to get assistance in refugee repatriations. Unfortunately, they have been setting conditions, which is the wrong approach,” Fidan told A Haber news channel.
Speaking about outlooks for an Israel-Hamas hostage deal, the Turkish diplomat said he expected clarity “in the coming days.”
Fidan said the Palestinian group was ready to release hostages it took during the October 7 incursion into Israel in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, a proposal that Israel has repeatedly rejected. He also said that Ankara remained in contact with both sides.
