Hamas’ politburo head Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at his residence in Istanbul on Saturday. The meeting, which took place against the backdrop of reports that Hamas's political leadership is considering leaving Doha was attended by other senior Hamas officials, including Khaled Mashal.
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Ismail Haniyeh and Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(Photo: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/ REUTERS)
Suadi news outlet Al-Sharq channel claimed that "Talks between Turkey and Hamas are underway to transfer the organization's headquarters from Qatar to Turkey."
According to Erdogan's office, the Turkish president and Hamas leader discussed efforts to achieve a cease-fire and the increased delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Erdogan also called for "unity" among Palestinians and assured Haniyeh, "Israel will one day pay the price for the injustice it inflicts on Palestinians."
The Turkish president said that his country "will continue diplomatic efforts to draw the international community’s attention to the injustice done to Palestinians," and also mentioned his country’s export restrictions on Israel.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said after the meeting, "The Muslim Brotherhood alliance - rape, murder, desecration of bodies, and the burning of babies. Erdogan, you should be ashamed.
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Meeting between Turkish and Hamas officials
(Photo: Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/ REUTERS)
Haniyeh also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Qatar last week. Although Hamas is committed to establishing a Palestinian state "from the Jordan River to the sea," and to eliminating Israel according to its charter, Fidan claimed Hamas representatives "Confirmed their consent to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders," which, once established, could lead to the end of the armed struggle.
Fidan added Israel's accusations against Hamas are "propaganda trying to portray it as a terrorist organization rather than a national resistance movement," and criticized the West for supporting it.
Fidan also addressed tensions between Israel and Iran on Saturday, saying it shouldn’t divert the world's attention from what is happening in the Gaza Strip. "The international community’s top priority should be the end of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories," he said in a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
Shoukry, who also discussed the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip with Fidan, said tensions between Israel and Iran are felt in the region, noting, "We warned about the escalation of the conflict from the beginning," and added, "We call on all parties to exercise restraint."
Fidan, on the other hand, argued that the main cause of instability in the Middle East is "the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel and the support it receives from the West." According to him, "We need to ignore any development that distracts us from this fact."