Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has denied media reports claiming that senior members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas have left Qatar and moved operations to Turkey after Doha’s suspension of its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, the Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported.
The Times of Israel newspaper brought up the claim in a report on Monday, based on comments of an Arab diplomat, saying that many senior Hamas members left Qatar last week for Turkey, where the group is not recognized as a terrorist organization as it is in much of the world, and its members enjoy a safe haven.
“Members of the Hamas political office visit Turkey from time to time. However, claims about relocation of the Hamas political office to Turkey do not reflect the truth,” said the foreign ministry in a statement on Monday.
The departure of Hamas members from Doha was first reported by Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
Qatar had hosted Hamas’ political office in Doha since 2012.
In a statement on November 9, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that the country was suspending its role as a mediator between Hamas and Israel after concluding that there is insufficient willingness from either side, with the mediation discussions becoming more about politics and public relations, rather than a serious attempt to secure peace and safety for Palestinian civilians and save the hostages taken by Hamas last year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been one of the strongest critics of Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, sparked by the militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The attack claimed some 1,200 lives, mostly civilians, as well as the abduction of some 250 hostages. Some of the hostages have since died or been returned to Israel, but an estimated 100 remain in captivity.
Israel responded with a ground and air offensive that has so far killed at least 43,000 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Erdoğan has called Israel a “terrorist state” and accused it of conducting a “genocide” in Gaza. He has called Hamas “liberators” or “mujahideen” fighting for their land and has frequently hosted members in Turkey.
Hamas is known to have had an office in Turkey since 2011, when Turkey helped secure the agreement for the group to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Erdoğan maintained close links with Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who was a frequent visitor to Turkey before his assassination in Tehran on July 31.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, among others.