Ankara, Oct 25: Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people.

 

Erdogan said that Israel “can view Hamas as a terrorist organization along with the West. The West owes you a lot. But Turkey does not owe you anything. Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a group of mujahideen defending their lands and people".

 

 

Speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, Erdogan also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces and said Muslim countries must act together to secure a lasting peace in the region.

 

Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud".

 

 

Erdogan also says he is canceling plans to visit Israel because of its “inhumane” war. “We had a project to go to Israel, but it was canceled, we will not go,” Erdogan says.

 

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking in Qatar, accuses Israel of “a crime against humanity” in its campaign in Gaza. “Targeting our Palestinian brothers, including children, patients and the elderly, even in schools, hospitals and mosques, is a crime against humanity,” he says, alongside Qatari FM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

 

Turkey, which hosts members of Hamas on its territory, backs a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

Hamas has been maintaining close ties with Turkey. Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mashal, Ismail Haniyeh, and Saleh al-Arouri, have openly met with Erdogan many times. In the cases of Arouri and Haniyeh, Ankara has provided them with Turkish passports and residency, which has allowed them to travel internationally unhindered.

 

Arouri, Hamas’ West Bank chief, is a U.S.-designated terrorist with a $5 million bounty on his head. He had even celebrated the terror attack massacre and is one of the masterminds of the attacks.

 

Reports also suggest that Turkey is providing military support to Hamas. Prior to the Hamas terror attack, Israeli authorities seized 16 tons of explosive material that originated in Turkey and were bound for Gaza, apparently intended for Hamas rockets. They found 16 tons of ammonium chloride, a dual-use chemical that Israel bars from Gaza due to its potential to be used to construct rockets, the Customs Directorate said.

 

While Ankara often declares its desire to “normalize” ties with Israel, Erdogan’s government remains a primary source of support for Hamas and other jihadist entities throughout the region. 

A day after the Hamas attacks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke by telephone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who requested “Turkey’s advocacy for a cease-fire” between Israel and the Palestinians. Blinken should know better. Fidan played a key role in facilitating the establishment of Hamas’ headquarters in Turkey and cannot be trusted. After mounting pressure, Blinken deleted the request from his social media channel.

Even recently, Erdogan discussed Gaza in phone call with the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. He told Haniyeh about Ankara's efforts for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and possible treatment of the wounded in Turkey.