“Turkey’s Support for Hamas: Complex Ties and Implications.”
Ever since the series of deadly attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7, Turkey’s relationship with this Islamist militant group has come under scrutiny. Turkey has been a significant supporter and facilitator of Hamas since 2011. Initially, the United States viewed this as a hindrance to Turkey’s efforts to normalize relations with Israel. However, now there is increasing pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the United States and Israel to sever ties with Hamas.
The likelihood of Erdogan complying with this request is low, and he is unlikely to condemn Hamas’s recent attacks on Israel as acts of terrorism. Erdogan’s support for Hamas is rooted in his sympathy for their cause, which he believes is a resistance movement defending the Palestinian homeland. He has stated that it is their responsibility to stand with the oppressed and stop the brutality in Gaza.
Erdogan’s perspective on Hamas aligns with the Turkish Islamist view of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which he has been part of for years. Even before becoming Turkey’s prime minister in 2003, he expressed anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic sentiments. His open criticism of Israel at the 2009 World Economic Forum and the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident, authorized by Erdogan, further strained Turkey’s relationship with Israel.
Prior to these incidents, Turkey and Israel had close government-to-government and people-to-people relationships. However, Erdogan’s decision to cultivate a relationship with Hamas led to the deterioration of ties with Israel.
Erdogan’s support for Hamas is a personal choice, not necessarily representing the preferences of the Turkish state. Despite this, the Hamas relationship is deeply rooted in Turkey, with the group maintaining political offices and its leaders, such as Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh, having met with Erdogan frequently. Additionally, Turkey may be providing military support to Hamas, as evidenced by the seizure of explosive material originating from Turkey and bound for Gaza in July of this year.
