Erdogan meets Hamas delegation in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with a delegation from Hamas in Ankara on Wednesday, Anadolu has reported. The head of Hamas Shura Council, Muhammad Darwish, led the movement’s delegation, said the Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications.

The meeting was also attended by key Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organisation chief Ibrahim Kalin, and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

Turkiye has reportedly played a significant role in communicating with Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement with Israel in Gaza.

In the aftermath of the Hamas-led cross-border incursion on 7 October, 2023, Turkiye refused to classify the movement as a “terrorist” organisation, stressing that it is a resistance movement for the liberation of Palestine.

In early May 2024, Turkiye suspended all trade relations with Israel until Tel Aviv allowed the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Turkiye also said that it will not resume trade relations with Israel — estimated at around $7 billion annually — until a permanent ceasefire is reached and humanitarian aid is provided for the Palestinians in Gaza.

A few weeks before that, Turkiye imposed restrictions on exports of 54 products to Israel with the aim of pushing for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

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