Turkey’s Erdogan Meets With Hamas Political Chief
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hosted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday to hold talks centered on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and securing a stable peace in the region, the president’s office detailed in a statement.
Saturday’s visit was the first time Erdogan, who has consistently described the armed Palestinian group as a “liberation movement,” has met with Hamas leadership since war broke out in Gaza last October. Last week, Haniyeh also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.
Erdogan’s support for Hamas relative to the rest of NATO is a major point of tension between Turkey and Israel, and the two states have seen their relationship worsen significantly in recent weeks following Ankara’s decision to levy trade restrictions against Israel.
“Issues related to Israel’s attacks on the lands of Palestine, particularly Gaza, efforts for adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region were discussed,” the statement reads.
The statement also notes that during the meeting, Erdogan reiterated to Haniyeh that Turkey would continue to exercise all diplomatic channels at its disposal to secure a permanent cease-fire and conditions allowing for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Erdogan, whose electoral power base is rooted in rural and Islamist voters, has been frequently criticized in recent months by those who say his administration is not doing enough to help Palestinians.
