Turkey is holding talks with the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas to secure the release of hostages kidnapped in Israel and taken to Gaza, but for now “there is nothing concrete,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was quoted as saying today.

Fidan had said yesterday, Tuesday, that Ankara is holding talks for the release of foreigners, civilians and children held by Hamas and had added that “many countries” have asked for Turkey’s help in freeing their citizens.

“The talks, the work on the exchange of prisoners continues. Talks and meetings are being held through intelligence units, but in the heat of the first few days, it was not possible to create a framework for this,” Fidan told Turkish media representatives this week, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Fidan added that other countries, particularly Qatar, are also holding talks with Hamas leaders, who are currently in Qatar.

“We also talk from time to time to our friends, our counterparts there. There is nothing concrete at the moment,” he was quoted as saying. “The Americans, the Germans (forwarded requests) regarding their own citizens. There are those who asked for our help from the first day for the liberation of their citizens”.