The Turkish president initially tried to position himself as a mediator in the Israel-Hamas war. Erdoğan has managed to strike a balance between Russia and the West in the Ukraine war.
When Hamas attacked Israel in early October, Turkey and the president To Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a difficult situation arose.
The budding normalization of relations with Israel was threatened.
Middle East next al-Monitor publication according to Turkey initially tried to repeat the balancing act already familiar from the war in Ukraine. In that, Turkey has tried to stay between the West and Russia and offer itself as a mediator.
“Hamas Leader in Turkey When Attacks Began”
of Al-Monitor and of the BBC’s Turkish department according to the information collected, characterized as the political leader of the extremist movement Hamas Isma’il Haniyya was in Istanbul when the organization launched its terrorist attack on Israel.
Among the BBC’s evidence is, among other things, an interview Haniyya gave to the Qatari al-Jazeera channel, in which she was said to be in Istanbul. There are also photos Of the Hamas leaders praying in the roomshowing the flag of Turkey.
According to Al-Monitor, after the terrorist attacks, Turkey directed the representatives of Hamas in the country to leave. The goal was to protect relations with Israel. Turkey’s first statements were also relatively moderate.
Turkey has since denied that Hamas leaders were asked to leave.
It also turned out that there was no demand for the intermediary services offered by Erdoğan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken managed to visit Turkey on his tour of the Middle East.
According to Al-Monitor’s information, Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza have also not been interested in Turkey’s mediation offers at this stage.
A big meeting in Istanbul at the weekend
On Wednesday, Erdoğan spoke in the Turkish parliament, and the mediating leader was absent. According to Erdoğan, the West sees Hamas as a terrorist organization, but according to him, it is a group of freedom fighters trying to protect their own soil.
In Israel, the reactions were dismayed. Also in the United States Congress President Biden’s administration has been demanded to act against Turkey.
The Justice and Development Party led by Erdoğan will organize a large Palestinian meeting in Istanbul this weekend, where the president will also speak. It is unclear whether Hamas representatives have been invited.