15 Palestinian prisoners freed under hostage-ceasefire deal arrive in Turkey
Egypt, which agreed to serve as landing spot for murder convicts released in agreement, says Ankara issued visas at Cairo embassy; Qatar, Algeria said planning to absorb others
Fifteen Palestinian security prisoners among hundreds freed by Israel as part of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas arrived in Turkey on Tuesday following their deportation to Egypt, officials confirmed.
“A few days ago, 15 Palestinians came to Turkey via Cairo after they were released,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, in a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.
The former detainees were issued visas by the Turkish embassy in Cairo, Fidan added.
The prisoners are the first taken in by a third country apart from Egypt under the ceasefire terms, in which Israel demanded that Palestinian terrorists convicted of the most serious crimes not be released to Gaza or the West Bank.
Egypt agreed to serve as a temporary landing spot for those murder convicts.
Apart from the 15 sent to Turkey, Qatar is expected to absorb many of the remaining prisoners, a regional official and an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel last week.
???? #LATEST — FM Fidan receives his Egyptian counterpart Abdelatty in Ankara, Türkiye pic.twitter.com/8iatHlFGdl
— Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) February 4, 2025
The decision on where to send the various Palestinian murder convicts is made in coordination with Israel, the two officials said.
Turkey has been a vocal supporter of Hamas throughout its current war with Israel, which began when some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
In 2011, Turkey took in 11 Palestinians who were freed as part of a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas that saw IDF soldier Gilad Shalit released in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian detainees.
The first phase of the current hostage-ceasefire deal, agreed to last month, has seen Hamas release 13 Israeli hostages, while Israel has released 583 Palestinian security inmates, of whom at least 79 have been deported to Egypt.
The terror group also released five Thai nationals outside the framework of the deal with Israel.
In addition to Turkey and Qatar, there are plans for some released prisoners to go to Algeria, a Hamas source said.
