Erdogan To Host Hamas Chief for Talks as Middle East Crisis Deepens
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey over the coming weekend. The meeting is slated to discuss a wide range of issues, with both leaders having recently engaged in separate but related diplomatic activities.
Erdogan, in a statement to his party in parliament, underscored his upcoming hosting of the Hamas leader as a significant moment for discussing critical matters impacting the Palestinian cause. This meeting marks Haniyeh’s first visit to Turkey since the onset of Israel’s latest military actions in Gaza, which began on October 7.
The visit coincides with a backdrop of increasing regional unrest following Iran’s recent attack on Israel, a retaliatory move after Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus early in April. Erdogan has pointedly blamed Israeli leadership, specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for the ongoing regional crisis.
Adding to the diplomatic flurry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Haniyeh in Doha on Wednesday. Their discussions centered on humanitarian aid for Gaza, cease-fire initiatives, and the conditions surrounding ongoing hostage negotiations. Hamas has expressed a strong desire for a cease-fire and outlined the critical role Turkey plays in regional dynamics.
During a subsequent press conference with Qatari leadership, Fidan highlighted the persistent risk of broader regional conflict and criticized the support some countries have shown for Israel. He emphasized the importance of Palestinian unity for achieving a sovereign state and advocated for a two-state solution.
Fidan also addressed Western perceptions of Hamas, influenced by Israeli narratives that label the group as a terrorist organization. He mentioned that Hamas had reiterated its willingness to dissolve its armed wing should a Palestinian state be established along the 1967 borders, thereafter operating solely as a political entity.
