"Keep The Attention On Gaza": Erdogan Urges For Palestinian Unity Against Israel (image@Communications)
After hours long talk with Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the Palestinians to stay united against Israel”s war. Calling the Palestinian unity “vital”, Erdogan said, “the strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity”. Citing the recent tension between Iran and Israel, he said it should not allow Tel Aviv to gain ground, and it is significant to act in a way that “keeps the attention on Gaza”.
By unity, Erdogan is aiming at Hamas and Fatah working together. While Hamas is the political power of Gaza, Fatah rules the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, and these two groups do not go hand in hand for several reasons.
Haniyeh is a frequent visitor of Turkey, and the country has had an office of Hamas since 2011, when it managed to secure an agreement from the resistance group of Gaza on the release of Israeli soldier Galid Shalit, who had been under Hamas captivity for six years.
In recent years, Turkey failed to establish a grip as a mediator in between Israel and Gaza. Experts say that Ankara is hoping to take the front seat as a mediator as talks of Qatar stepping down from the process is lurking. While announcing Haniyeh”s visit to Turkey, Erdogan said he will continue to defend Palestinian struggle and to be the voice of the oppressed Palestinians as long as “God gives me my life”.
On Ismail Haniyeh”s visit to Turkey, Israel”s foreign minister Israel Katz called it a “Muslim Brotherhood alliance”. He said “Erdogan, shame on you”. Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson, Öncü Keçeli hit back at Katz and said, “It is the Israeli authorities who should be ashamed. They have massacred nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children”.
Reportedly, Hamas was founded by the members of Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. The relation between Muslim Brotherhood and Erdogan are close and he gave asylum to 1,500 Muslim Brotherhood members of Egypt when Mursi government was overturned by military in 2013. According to Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey specialist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, Turkey provided information and passports to Hamas officials including Ismail Haniyeh. It is to note that the information has never been confirmed by Ankara. Turkey is also one of the main provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with sending over 45,000 tonnes of supplies and medicines to the besieged enclave.
If Qatar is to stepdown, Turkey could seek to hold up its position as the mediator based on its relation with Hamas. However, according to Ciddi, Erdogan can only expect a “very limited” opportunity to up his talks as a mediator with Israel, as he has been very vocal in condemning Israel for its brutal war against Gaza.
Last year, he compared the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”s war tactics with those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, the very person whom the Jews loath the most. Erdogan also called Israel a “terrorist state” for its attack against Hamas and Gaza. Experts say that the Turkish President would not be welcomed Israel and the most he might be able to do is to pass messages between the Hamas and Israeli negotiators.
(With inputs from agencies)
