Turkey Hints at Reopening its Consulates in Mosul, Basra

Turkey Hints at Reopening its Consulates in Mosul, Basra
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Turkey Hints at Reopening its Consulates in Mosul, Basra

Turkey Hints at Reopening its Consulates in Mosul, Basra

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced Friday that Ankara began taking measures to reopen its consulates in Mosul and Basra that have remained shut for years due to security threats.

Turkey closed its consulate in Mosul in 2014, shortly after ISIS advanced on the city and stormed the mission on June 11 of that year, kidnapping 48 people including the Turkish consul.

Among the captives were also employees at the consulate and their family members, including three children, as well as members from the Turkish special operations force.

The captives were released after three months.

Later, the former Turkish consul accused Ankara of handing him over, along with the consulate staff, to ISIS.

As for the Turkish consulate in Basra, the Iraqi foreign ministry announced on January 21 that it had struck an agreement with Turkey to reopen it following its closure in 2014 due to security threats.

In April, Turkey's ambassador to Baghdad Fatih Yıldız said that the Basra consulate will reopen soon. In remarks to Turkish media, he said that Turkey is a huge country and can’t be restricted to specific parts of Iraq.

Turkey has a border with southern Iraq, and has sent humanitarian aid to provinces in central Iraq, he said.

He added that the Turkish consulate building in Basra is still there and that talks must be held with local figures and tribal leaders before reactivating the diplomatic mission.



Hamas: Israel's Claim on Hostages' Handover Ceremony is Pretext to Evade Obligations

Fighters from Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades escort Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov before handing him over to the Red Cross in Al Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, 22 February, 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Fighters from Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades escort Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov before handing him over to the Red Cross in Al Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, 22 February, 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Hamas: Israel's Claim on Hostages' Handover Ceremony is Pretext to Evade Obligations

Fighters from Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades escort Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov before handing him over to the Red Cross in Al Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, 22 February, 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Fighters from Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades escort Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov before handing him over to the Red Cross in Al Nusairat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, 22 February, 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Hamas on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, saying its claim that the hostages' handover ceremonies are "humiliating" was false and a pretext to evade Israel's obligations under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu's decision reflects a deliberate attempt to disrupt the agreement, represents a clear violation of its terms, and shows the occupation's lack of reliability in implementing its obligations," Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement.

Israel said earlier it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners it had planned to free the day before until Hamas met its conditions, underscoring the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire accord.

Netanyahu's office released a statement in the early hours of Sunday saying that Israel was waiting to deliver the 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees "until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies."

According to Reuters, Hamas' El Rashq said the ceremonies do not include any insult to the hostages, "but rather reflect the humane and dignified treatment of them,” adding that the "real insult" is what the Palestinian prisoners are subjected to during the release process.

The Palestinian militant group official cited the hands' tying of the Palestinian prisoners and detainees and their blindfolding and threatening them not to hold any celebrations for their release as examples of their humiliation at the hands of Israeli authorities.

Hamas has made hostages appear on stage in front of crowds and sometimes speak before they were handed over. Coffins with hostage remains have also been carried through crowds.

Israel's announcement, which also accused Hamas of repeatedly violating the month-old ceasefire, came after the Palestinian militant group on Saturday handed over six hostages from Gaza as part of an exchange arranged under the truce.