Following reports that Hamas is seeking a new location because Qatar no longer wants to host them, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he doesn’t think Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will take such a step, local media reported on Tuesday.
Erdoğan on Tuesday answered journalists’ questions on the plane upon his return from Iraq.
He was asked about the recent reports that Hamas members are under serious pressure and are seeking a new location to move their headquarters from Qatar, including Turkey.
The president said he has no information about any such decision by Qatar and finds it unlikely for Hamas to move its main political office from Qatar after more than a decade there.
“I have not heard about a decision by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that would ignore [Hamas’] position in Qatar. I also don’t think he will take such a step,” he said.
Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, have been living in Qatar since 2012.
The UAE-based Sky News Arabia on April 19 reported claims that Hamas leaders suggested Iran or Turkey could be the group’s next headquarters.
The Wall Street Journal reported on April 20, citing Arab officials, that Hamas has recently contacted at least two countries in the region, one of them being Oman, asking if they would be open to the idea of its political leaders relocating to their capitals.
Arab officials also told the WSJ that Hamas believes the slow-moving hostage negotiations could last for months, putting the group’s close ties to Qatar and its presence in Doha at risk.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said last week that they are reassessing the country’s role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Sheikh Mohammed said Doha had been exploited and abused and was being undermined by those trying to score political points, adding that the current peace talks were in a “delicate phase.”
Following the prime minister’s statement, Erdoğan sent Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Doha on Wednesday in a new sign that he wants a role as a mediator.
Hamas has had an office in Turkey since 2011, when Turkey helped secure the agreement for the group to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Erdoğan has maintained links with Haniyeh, who has been a frequent visitor.
The first meeting between the Turkish president and a Hamas delegation headed by Haniyeh since Israel began its military offensive in the Gaza Strip was held in Istanbul on Saturday.
Erdoğan discussed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and reach a fair and lasting peace in the region.
Haniyeh’s visit to Turkey took place three days after he met with Minister Fidan in Doha.