Erdogan Meets Hamas Leader: A Tense Encounter Amidst Rising Tensions between Turkey and Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to host the leader of Palestinian group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Turkey this weekend. The meeting will take place at the Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul on Saturday. This marks the first time the two leaders have met since their last encounter in July 2023 at the presidential palace in Ankara alongside Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel, particularly since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza that was sparked by an attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023. This attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, most of whom were civilians according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a ground and air offensive that has resulted in the deaths of at least 33,899 people in Gaza, mainly women and children.

In recent years, Erdogan has established friendly ties with Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar. Last week, Erdogan offered Haniyeh condolences for the loss of his three sons and some grandchildren in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Erdogan has accused Israel of being a “terrorist state” and of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza. He has referred to Hamas as “liberators” or “mujahideen” fighting for their land.

This meeting between Erdogan and Haniyeh is likely to be closely watched by both sides’ allies and enemies alike. It comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and Israel over a range of issues, including Syria and cyber attacks targeting Turkish military installations. The two countries have not had diplomatic relations since 2018 following a disagreement over Jerusalem’s status as capital city by Israelis and Palestinians respectively.