ANKARA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen Palestinian prisoners released by Israel under a ceasefire agreement with Hamas arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday after being deported to Egypt, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.
"As part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, there was an agreement that a certain number of Palestinians would not remain in Palestinian territories. These individuals were to be hosted in designated countries. Upon request, and with the approval of our president, we responded positively," Fidan said at a joint press conference in Ankara with his Egyptian counterpart Bedr Abdulati.
Fidan said that the 15 Palestinians were granted visas through the Turkish embassy in Cairo after their release from prison and subsequently traveled to Türkiye.
Fidan also emphasized Türkiye's opposition to any efforts aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homeland.
"Any initiative to expel Palestinians from their native lands is contrary to international law and humanity's conscience. Such actions will yield no results other than fueling new conflicts and destabilizing regional peace. We must stand against all attempts to displace Palestinians from their homeland," he said.
A Palestinian official announced on Monday that 60 Palestinian prisoners, released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal and currently in Egypt, will be deported to Türkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, and Pakistan.
Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, said each of the four countries would host 15 Palestinian prisoners. ■
