On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in Ankara with Muhammad Ismail Darwish, a high-ranking Hamas figure, according to a report by Reuters referencing a statement from Erdogan’s office.
The gathering also saw the participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin, and additional Hamas representatives, the statement further noted.
Erdogan has long been a vocal supporter of Hamas. In April, he hosted Ismail Haniyeh, the then leader of the Hamas political bureau, in Istanbul.
Following that meeting, Erdogan remarked that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital,” emphasizing, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity.”
Haniyeh was eliminated in Tehran in July, although Israel only officially acknowledged its role in the event last month.
A few weeks after his meeting with Haniyeh, Erdogan took pride in revealing that over 1,000 Hamas members were receiving medical care in hospitals throughout Turkey. He also criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for labeling Hamas a terrorist organization.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on October 7, 2023, Erdogan has stepped up his verbal confrontations with Israel. The two nations had been making efforts to restore their previously strained relations before Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel.
{Matzav.com}
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