Turkish support for Hamas

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{{Essay-like|date=May 2024}}}}File:Numan Kurtulmuş İsmail Heniye.jpeg with Turkish Minister of Culture Numan Kurtulmuş, 20 November 2012]]

As part of Turkey's objective to play a neutral role in the region, the country tries to be on speaking terms with both Israel and Hamas.{{cite news |title=Eying Gaza mediator role, Turkey cools Hamas ties, Erdogan restrains rhetoric - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/10/eying-gaza-mediator-role-turkey-cools-hamas-ties-erdogan-restrains-rhetoric |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=www.al-monitor.com |date=22 October 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Can Turkey help resolve the Israel-Hamas war? |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/turkeysource/can-turkey-help-resolve-the-israel-hamas-war/ |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=Atlantic Council |date=9 January 2024}} From time to time, Israel has suggested Turkey to support Hamas,{{cite news |title=Revealing Israel's Strategic Vision in Supporting Hamas: Insights from Turkish Ex-Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz's 1998 Visit |url=https://politurco.com/revealing-israels-strategic-vision-in-supporting-hamas-insights-from-turkish-ex-prime-minister-mesut-yilmazs-1998-visit.html |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=politurco.com |date=12 October 2023}}{{Cite tweet |author=Feyzi Isbasaran |user=feyzi_fyzisbsrn |number=1711773786494668924 |title=Mesut Yılmaz/Benjamin Netanyahu görüşmesi}} while in other cases it has opposed the support.{{cite news |last1=Michaelson |first1=Ruth |title=Israel's foreign minister says Erdoğan 'should be ashamed' of meeting with Hamas chief |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/21/israel-foreign-minister-israel-katz-says-recep-tayyip-erdogan-should-be-ashamed-of-meeting-with-hamas-chief-ismail-haniyeh |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=21 April 2024}}

Under the conservative leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey has become a stalwart supporter of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-10 |title=What is Hamas? What to know about its origins, leaders and funding |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-is-hamas-what-to-know-about-its-origins-leaders-and-funding |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us |archive-date=2023-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013044153/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-is-hamas-what-to-know-about-its-origins-leaders-and-funding |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Turkey, the United States, and the Israel-Hamas War |url=https://www.cfr.org/article/turkey-united-states-and-israel-hamas-war |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=Council on Foreign Relations |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025225409/https://www.cfr.org/article/turkey-united-states-and-israel-hamas-war |url-status=live }}

Unlike Israel, Turkey has never listed Hamas as a terrorist organisation. In 2010, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Hamas as "resistance fighters who are struggling to defend their land".{{cite news|title=Erdogan: 'Hamas is not a terrorist organization'|author=Lazaroff, T.|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Erdogan-Hamas-is-not-a-terrorist-organization|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|date=May 13, 2011|access-date=June 7, 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=davutoglu-meets-hamas-chief-in-damascus-2010-07-20 |title=Turkish FM Davutoğlu meets Hamas chief amid Israel row |newspaper=Hurriyet Daily News |access-date=August 2, 2011}} Israel later said that in the same way it condemned the PKK and listed it as a terrorist organization, it expected Turkey to do the same for Hamas.{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |title=Rebuffing former top general, Netanyahu says Kurdish PKK a terror group |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/rebuffing-former-top-general-netanyahu-says-kurdish-pkk-a-terror-group/ |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}} Turkey hosts senior Hamas officials, including Saleh al-Arouri. Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh and former chief Khaled Mashal visit Turkey often.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-16 |title=Hamas faces risk, opportunity from warming Israel-Turkey ties |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220316-hamas-faces-risk-opportunity-from-warming-israel-turkey-ties |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013050628/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220316-hamas-faces-risk-opportunity-from-warming-israel-turkey-ties |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2020-08-26 |title=US Criticizes Turkey for Hosting Hamas Leaders |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_us-criticizes-turkey-hosting-hamas-leaders/6194990.html |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=VOA |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013050028/https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_us-criticizes-turkey-hosting-hamas-leaders/6194990.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-14 |title=Qatar, Iran, Turkey and beyond: The galaxy of Hamas supporters |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231014-qatar-iran-turkey-and-beyond-the-galaxy-of-hamas-supporters |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014182503/http://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231014-qatar-iran-turkey-and-beyond-the-galaxy-of-hamas-supporters |url-status=live }}

According to Israel's Shin Bet, Hamas has established a command post in Turkey which it uses to recruit operatives and oversee operations in the Middle East.{{cite web |last=Katz |first=Yaakov |date=8 September 2011 |title=Shin Bet: Hamas operating in Turkey, China |url=http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=237108 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024225349/http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=237108 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |access-date=17 April 2016 |work=The Jerusalem Post}} Hamas' Turkey branch reportedly takes decisions without taking into account the movement as a whole and without involving the Hamas leadership.{{Cite web |date=2014-12-01 |title=Turkey's Hamas 'bureau' - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/en/originals/2014/12/saleh-al-arouri-khaled-meshaal-hamas-leadership-turkey-gaza.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224205915/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/en/originals/2014/12/saleh-al-arouri-khaled-meshaal-hamas-leadership-turkey-gaza.html |archive-date=24 December 2015 |access-date=2016-04-28 |website=Al-Monitor |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |date=2015-12-21 |title=Is Erdogan closing Hamas' Istanbul office? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/12/hamas-khaled-meshaal-salah-ak-arouri-istanbul-reconciliation.html#ixzz43vIaw0z7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604160132/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/12/hamas-khaled-meshaal-salah-ak-arouri-istanbul-reconciliation.html#ixzz43vIaw0z7 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=2016-04-28 |website=Al-Monitor |language=en-us}} Hamas has reportedly planned attacks against Israel from Turkey, including the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/turkey-calls-israel-terrorist-state-seeks-to-save-jerusalem-analysis-667623|title=Turkey calls Israel 'terrorist' state, seeks to 'save Jerusalem' - analysis|work=The Jerusalem Post|first=Seth T.|last=Franzman|date=9 May 2021|access-date=17 August 2022|archive-date=2 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102173625/https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/turkey-calls-israel-terrorist-state-seeks-to-save-jerusalem-analysis-667623|url-status=live}} In 2020 Israeli diplomats charged Turkey with furnishing passports and identity cards to Hamas members in Istanbul.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-israel-hamas-idUSKBN25M1XW|title=Turkey gave Hamas members passports, Israel says|work=Reuters|first=Tuvan|last=Gumrukcu|date=26 August 2020|access-date=21 August 2022|archive-date=24 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024111057/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-israel-hamas-idUSKBN25M1XW|url-status=live}}

The Turkish government met with Hamas leaders in February 2006, after the organization's victory in the Palestinian elections.{{cite news |title=Turkish FM Davutoğlu meets Hamas chief amid Israel row |newspaper=Hurriyet Daily News |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=davutoglu-meets-hamas-chief-in-damascus-2010-07-20 |access-date=August 2, 2011 |archive-date=2023-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007192347/https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=davutoglu-meets-hamas-chief-in-damascus-2010-07-20 |url-status=live }}