Hamas has moved most of its senior leadership activity and internal meetings from Qatar to Turkey while exploring closer relations with Syria’s new government, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Thursday, citing three unnamed Hamas sources.
The Palestinian militant group held an inconclusive election for the head of its political bureau in İstanbul in May and is expected to resume the process there once voting inside the Palestinian territories is complete, the sources told the Saudi newspaper.
They claimed that most Hamas leaders are now spending extended periods of time in Turkey and that meetings on ceasefire talks, internal affairs and other issues are being held there. One source described the move as an effort to reduce pressure on Qatar rather than evidence of a dispute with Doha.
Another source cited security concerns after Israel’s September 2025 strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, which killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer but failed to kill the group’s senior negotiators.
Turkey has maintained regular senior level contact with Hamas. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with a delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya in Ankara on March 31, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa received a Hamas delegation in İstanbul on April 4. Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın also met with al-Hayya and other officials in İstanbul in January.
Unlike the United States and the European Union, Turkey does not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Closer ties with Syria
The reported shift has coincided with Hamas statements condemning recent bombings in Damascus, including explosions during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. Hamas expressed support for Syria’s leadership, government and people and accused those behind the attacks of seeking to spread chaos.
A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that closer ties with Syria were a natural part of the group’s effort to maintain relations across the region. The source said no official Hamas visit was planned but suggested one could take place after the Syrian government stabilizes its domestic and foreign priorities.
Hamas was based in Damascus for years before leaving in 2012 after opposing Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on an uprising against his rule. It restored ties with Assad’s government in 2022, then congratulated Syrians after his overthrow in December 2024.
The report comes as Hamas is also preparing to transfer civilian administration in Gaza to an internationally backed committee, though it has not agreed to disarm.