Meeting with Hamas leader Haniya
Erdogan: Palestinian unity “is the path to victory”
April 20, 2024, 5:58 p.m
Turkish President Erdogan makes no secret of his support for Hamas. In Istanbul he now meets with the leader of the terrorist organization. During the conversation, Erdogan is said to have advocated for a ceasefire and at the same time called on the Palestinians to unite.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Palestinians to “unify” in the face of the war in the Gaza Strip. “Unity and integrity” are “the strongest answer to Israel and the path to victory,” said Erdogan, according to the Turkish presidential office in Istanbul, after a meeting with the head of the radical Islamic Hamas organization, Ismail Haniya. Israel must not “gain any territory” in the Gaza war.
The two also spoke about humanitarian aid for Gaza and a ceasefire, as state broadcaster TRT reported after the conversation concluded. The meeting, which lasted approximately two hours, took place in Erdogan’s office in the Dolmabahce Palace. According to the report, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also took part.
Turkey was committed to diplomatic efforts during the meeting with the aim of an immediate ceasefire, Erdogan’s office added in a statement on X. The statement did not mention the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Despite Erdogan’s verbal attacks against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Turkey has recently made greater efforts to play a mediating role in the Gaza war. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also met Hanija during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday. According to Turkish media, it was also about the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
Erdogan publicly supports Hamas. He had condemned the Islamist massacre that left 1,200 dead in Israel on October 7th. However, he later repeatedly described the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for this as a liberation organization. Erdogan once again attacked Netanyahu this week and accused the Israeli head of government of committing a “massacre” in the Gaza Strip. Israel has repeatedly and firmly rejected Erdogan’s statements.