ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rebuffed increasing pressure from the United States to sever longstanding ties with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. The US Treasury’s top terrorism financing official, Under Secretary Brian Nelson, expressed “profound” concern over Turkey’s relations with Hamas during a recent visit to the country.
While acknowledging that the US had not detected recent funds flowing through Turkey to Hamas, Nelson argued that Turkey had facilitated Hamas’ access to funding in the past. He urged Ankara to use its local laws to prevent potential future transfers of funds to the group.
In response, President Erdogan asserted on Saturday that Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization. He emphasized that Hamas is a political reality in Palestine, having participated in elections and gained political standing.
“Hamas is a reality of Palestine, it is a political party there, and it entered the elections as a political party and won,” Erdogan stated. “We form our foreign policy in Ankara and design it only according to Turkey’s interests and the expectations of our people.”
Erdogan Highlights Turkey’s Balanced Foreign Policy
Erdogan highlighted Turkey’s consistent and balanced foreign policy, especially in addressing humanitarian crises and conflicts. Despite Washington’s concerns, he expressed confidence that Turkey’s foreign policy decisions are appreciated by its international partners.
The Turkish President has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, recalling Ankara’s envoy to Tel Aviv and demanding that Israel’s military commanders and political leaders be held accountable for alleged war crimes.
As tensions escalate in the region with Israel resuming air strikes after the failure to extend a seven-day truce, Erdogan remains steadfast in Turkey’s support for Hamas.
