Is Hamas in Turkey?
Yes, Hamas has a significant presence in Turkey. The Islamist government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian militant group, providing both financial and logistical support Hamas leaders frequently visit Turkey, and the group is believed to have established a command post in the country.
Why does Turkey support Hamas?
Several factors contribute to Turkey’s support for Hamas:
- Shared ideology: Both Hamas and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey share a similar Islamist ideology. They both view Israel as an occupying force and support the Palestinian cause.
- Geopolitical interests: Turkey seeks to increase its influence in the Middle East and sees Hamas as a key ally in achieving this goal. By supporting Hamas, Turkey can project power into the region and challenge Israel’s regional dominance.
- Domestic politics: Erdoğan’s support for Hamas is popular among his conservative base. It allows him to portray himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause and gain support from the Muslim world.
What are the implications of Turkey’s support for Hamas?
Turkey’s support for Hamas has several implications:
- Strained relations with Israel: Turkey’s support for Hamas has strained its relations with Israel. The two countries have recalled their ambassadors and engaged in a war of words.
- Increased tensions in the region: Turkey’s support for Hamas has also increased tensions in the region. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States and the European Union.
- Challenges for the peace process: Turkey’s support for Hamas makes it difficult to achieve a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Hamas refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist and has launched numerous attacks against Israeli civilians.
The Future of Turkey-Hamas Relations
The future of Turkey-Hamas relations is uncertain. The two sides have a strong ideological bond, but their relationship is also fraught with tension. Turkey may eventually distance itself from Hamas if it feels that the group is becoming a liability. However, it is also possible that Turkey will continue to support Hamas as a way to advance its own interests in the Middle East.
Additional Resources
Palestinian actors and Turkey’s Islamist-secular divide
KEVIN HUGGARD: What Palestinian actors are Turkish leaders likely to support based on the Islamist-secular divide in Turkish politics? e. , Hamas, the principal Islamist organization, or Fatah, the principal secular nationalist organization)? Or does support for the Palestinian cause in Turkey typically cut across these ideological divisions?
ASLI AYDINTAŞBAŞ: I think the Palestinian cause now transcends the Islamist-secular divide.
For the government, the ideological battle has long been settled in favor of Hamas. While Turkey works with both Fatah and Hamas, and has occasionally welcomed both Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), at the same time, the PA is seen as an ineffectual organization, while Hamas is a real organization. In that sense, Turkey has elevated and legitimized Hamas’s position within the Muslim world.
But I don’t know what all that means for the future. What the Israelis have planned for Gaza and the nature of the Gaza administration that will emerge after the war are unknown. Qatar and Turkey will continue to deal with Hamas’ political wing. Meetings with Haniyeh or other Hamas leaders, however, might not matter if the PA intervenes to seize control of Gaza.
The real question, in my opinion, is whether Turkey will change its tune and soften its rhetoric toward Hamas in order to gain the kind of access it desires in Gaza and the West Bank.
Turkey’s relationship with Israel and the Palestinian territories
KEVIN HUGGARD: How does this matter fit into Turkey’s larger foreign policy? What stance has Turkey historically taken toward Israeli-Palestinian affairs under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan?
ASLI AYDINTA\BA: Erdoğan’s vision for Turkey revolves around the Palestinian issue to the forefront.
Turkey and Israel, the two non-Arab states in the region, have been enthralled with each other for a considerable amount of their 74-year relationship.
But over the past two decades under Erdoğan, relations have been tumultuous, often in parallel with the ups and downs in Israeli-Palestinian tensions. In 2009, Erdoğan walked out of a panel with Shimon Peres in Davos after accusing the former Israeli president of killing children. In 2010, a Turkish aid flotilla tried to break the blockade of Gaza, leading to a deadly Israeli raid and years of cold peace between the two countries.
Despite the fact that relations between Turkey and Israel were restored in 2022, they have deteriorated significantly since Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the October 7 attack by Hamas. Although trade relations remain, Erdoğan has adopted a very tough stance against Israel, and both nations have recalled their ambassadors.
Turkey’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has changed significantly under Erdoğan from the Kemalist era prior to him in two areas.
The first is Erdoğan’s belief in the legitimacy of Hamas as a viable Palestinian actor, which is a natural outcome of his ideological affinity for the Muslim Brotherhood. Erdoğan believes Hamas needs to be part of the political process and has moved the Turkish establishment toward that idea. Hamas has had a presence in Turkey and sent delegations there since it won the Palestinian elections in 2006. I should note that Ankara’s engagement is with Hamas’ political wing; as far as I know, there has been no Turkish support for the group’s military wing in Gaza. But Erdoğan has been open about his political support for Hamas — whose political representatives were reportedly in Turkey at the time of the attack.
Another distinction from the pre-Erdoğan age is the central role of the Palestinian issue in Turkey’s aspirations for regional leadership — and Erdoğan’s use of neo-Ottomanism to sell that idea to Turkish voters. The Turkish president has built his political platform on the theme of an ascending Turkey — with a historic responsibility to protect the dispossessed Muslim populations in the region, including, of course, the Palestinians. This notion of Turkish exceptionalism runs through all of Erdoğan’s foreign policy speeches and is at the core of his “Century of Turkey” platform. It also works well domestically for the voters: Erdoğan is the only leader standing up to Israel and the West, we are often told. This is how he wants to be remembered, as the leader who oversaw the rebirth of the Turkish empire and who hasn’t forgotten the Palestinians and Jerusalem.
Turkey’s president says Hamas is not a terrorist organisation
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