Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed terrorist leader Ismail Haniya like a statesman. Official photos show the Turkish president, flanked by two Turkish flags, firmly shaking the hand of the Hamas leader. It is scandalous how a NATO member is rolling out the red carpet for the leader of an organization that plunged the Gaza Strip into a devastating war with its terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. Any attempt to rehabilitate Hamas is wrong.
During the visit, Erdogan emphasized that the victory over Israel depends on the unity of the Palestinians. He compared Hamas to the Turkish irregulars who rose up against the foreign occupying powers after the First World War. Erdogan had previously glorified the Islamist group as a liberation movement. In contrast to its Western allies, Türkiye stubbornly refuses to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Haniya’s visit to Istanbul is now fueling speculation that Hamas leaders could move from Qatar to Türkiye. Qatar has been hosting the exiled leadership since 2012. At that time, the movement had to leave Damascus because it had fallen out with the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Asad. Recently, however, frustration with Hamas has grown in Qatar. According to media reports, the emirate is even considering expelling Hamas leaders from the country.
The Gulf state is under increasing pressure from Israel and its allies. Qatar plays a central role as a mediator in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages. However, Israel accuses him of being too close to the Islamists and blames him for blocking the talks. Pressure is also growing in the US Congress. Some senators are even calling for Qatar to be stripped of its ally status if it does not expel Hamas.
If the emirate actually withdraws the Hamas leadership’s hospitality rights, they would have to look for a new asylum. Syria or Lebanon would be an option, but Hamas leaders there would be an easy target for Israeli intelligence. Iran would be an alternative, but the Hamas leadership is likely to have reservations about tying itself too tightly to the Shiite regional power. Finally, Algeria is also being discussed, but Hamas would be largely isolated there.
Against this background, Türkiye is likely to be the most attractive option for Hamas. Before October 7, Haniya and his predecessor spent a lot of time on the Bosphorus. They are well connected there, there is also great sympathy for the Palestinian cause among the population, and the government maintains close relations with the Muslim Brotherhood. The country has weight in the region, and the Mossad is likely to hesitate to murder Hamas leaders there.
If Hamas actually moves its headquarters to Türkiye, it would be an affront to Israel and its partners. It would be unacceptable for a NATO country to provide sanctuary to an organization committed to the destruction of Israel. Qatar is also a close partner of the USA, hosting al-Udeid, the largest American military base in the Middle East. But Qatar has already made it clear that Hamas must leave after the end of the war at the latest.
Before October 7, it made perfect sense to keep a channel of communication open with the Islamists in Qatar. This was also wanted by the USA and approved by Israel. However, the massacre discredited Hamas as a negotiating partner. There can be no more with her than talks about the release of the hostages and a ceasefire. Should negotiations on a political solution to the Middle East conflict be resumed, Hamas must not have a seat at the table.
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