Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan claims Hamas are not terrorists but a ‘liberation group’ as he cancels his visit to Israel
- Turkey’s president Erdogan says Hamas fighting to protect Palestinian lands
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan yesterday claimed Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a ‘liberation group’ as he cancelled his planned visit to Israel.
He said Hamas was fighting to protect Palestinian lands and accused the West of ‘adding fuel to fire’. Cancelling his trip, he condemned the ‘massacre and destruction’ in Gaza.
It signals a U-turn from Turkey’s recent efforts to improve relations with the West. Earlier this week, Mr Erdogan dropped his long-held objection to Sweden joining Nato by submitting its bid to parliament for ratification.
Yesterday, he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party: ‘Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, “mujahideen” waging a battle to protect its lands and people.
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan (pictured) yesterday claimed Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a ‘liberation group’ as he cancelled his planned visit to Israel
Armed men from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, participate in a military parade in Gaza City
‘The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel. Israel’s attacks on Gaza, for itself and those supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness.’
Speaking of his first meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at a UN summit last month, he said: ‘If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now that will not happen because they took advantage of our good intentions.’
After Hamas’s attack on October 7, Mr Erdogan initially took a measured response, condemning the group for its actions and urging Israel to act with restraint in its response.
Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said: ‘Even the Turkish president’s attempt to defend the terrorist organisation and his inciting words will not change the horrors that the whole world has seen.’
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