Hamas chief meets Erdogan as Turkey tries to mediate in Gaza war
Head of the politburo of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Ankara tries to play a more influential role in efforts to bring an end to Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza.
Ismail Haniyeh met Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday a day after he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha, Qatar, where the Palestinian leader is based.
The meeting lasted for more than two and a half hours, according to reports in the Turkish media which said that Haniyeh and Erdogan had discussed Israel’s attacks on Palestinian lands as well as efforts needed for ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The two also discussed measures to achieve a fair and lasting peace process in Palestine, said the reports which indicated that there were no direct mention of the ongoing mediation efforts to force an end to more than six months of Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Turkey’s state-run TRT said Erdogan had said in the meeting that Turkey “is tirelessly continuing diplomatic efforts to draw international attention to the oppression of the Palestinians”.
He also said in the meeting that recent tensions between Israel and Iran should not divert attentions from the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, adding that such a scenario would only benefit the Israeli regime.
However, Erdogan’s remarks come as Ankara is still being criticized by countries in the region for failing to significantly downsize its trade and economic relations with Israel, a measure they say can force Israel to reduce its atrocities in Gaza.
Erdogan’s chief diplomat Fidan traveled to Doha on Wednesday to meet Haniyeh just after Qatari authorities said they would reassess the position of the Arab country as a mediator between Hamas and the Israeli regime.
Analysts say Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric against Israeli regime officials has also made it complicated for Turkey to play the role of a mediator in the Gaza conflict.
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