FLASH
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What happened should not make Israel gain ground and that it is important to act in a way that keeps the focus on Gaza...
As Israel is about to die, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met today in Istanbul with the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.
The meeting has reignited debate over Turkey's efforts to play a greater mediating role for the Palestinian cause amid domestic controversy over the ruling government, which has lost support among its conservative base.
Haniyeh's visit is his first meeting with Erdogan in Turkey since the start of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
According to foreign media, during the meeting, the pair discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, says state broadcaster TRT.
" It is essential that Palestinians act united in this process; the strongest response to Israel and the path to victory goes through unity and integrity ," Erdogan said, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. After the recent tensions between Israel and Iran, the Turkish president underlined that " what happened should not make Israel gain ground and that it is important to act in a way that keeps the focus on Gaza ".
Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization, unlike Washington and Brussels. The country has also sharply criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza, which Erdogan previously described as genocide. Hamas also established a presence in Istanbul in 2011, although not on the same level as its political office in Doha.
Ankara has also been a major humanitarian donor to Gaza, along with several Gulf states, and has actively helped some Palestinians from Gaza receive medical treatment in Turkish hospitals.
On April 16, Erdogan compared Hamas to Turkish independence fighters who resisted foreign invaders during the liberation of the country and the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923.
Erdogan will make his first official visit to the US since the election of President Joe Biden in 2020 on May 9. The Palestinian cause is expected to be part of the talks.
How Turkey will be able to mediate between the Palestinians and the Israelis is a matter of concern, especially after Erdogan's harsh criticism of Israel's military actions in Gaza.
For now, Erdogan has been cautious in commenting on his meeting with Haniyeh.
"We will keep the agenda between us and Mr. Haniyeh," he said when asked by reporters on Friday.
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