Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he will be hosting the leader of Palestinian group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in Turkey this weekend. This meeting is scheduled to take place at the Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul on Saturday. The two leaders last met in July 2023 when Erdogan hosted Haniyeh at the presidential palace in Ankara alongside Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.
Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel, particularly since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza that was sparked by an attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023. This attack resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, most of whom were civilians according to Israeli figures. In response, Israel launched a ground and air offensive that has resulted in the deaths of at least 33,899 people in Gaza, mainly women and children.
Erdogan has established friendly ties with Haniyeh, who is based in Qatar. Last week, Erdogan offered Haniyeh condolences for the loss of his three sons and some grandchildren in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Erdogan has accused Israel of being a “terrorist state” and of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza. He has referred to Hamas as “liberators” or “mujahideen” fighting for their land. The meeting between Erdogan and Haniyeh is expected to focus on issues related to Palestine and regional security matters.