President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday said he did not approach Hamas as a terrorist organization and defended it as a resistance group defending its lands in the Gaza Strip.

"From 1947 until today, Palestine has come to this day by losing its lands over and over again," Erdoğan said in an interview with U.S.-based NBC News.

When asked by host Keir Simmons about "there are those who criticize you, Türkiye, for providing a home for Hamas, who the U.S. says is a terrorist, and you say that you are opposed to terrorism," Erdoğan said: "We are, of course, against terrorists."

"But I am one of the leaders who knows Hamas well. I have never called Hamas a terrorist organization and I do not view Hamas as a terrorist organization.

"Because Hamas is a resistance group that strives to protect its lands. Therefore, how can I call such a resistance group a terrorist organization?" Erdoğan said.

Under Erdoğan, the Turkish government has maintained close ties with the Hamas administration, including hosting its political leaders in Ankara to discuss cease-fire efforts or arranging meetings with the heads of other Palestinian movements like Fatah.

Replying to a question on the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, Erdoğan said the backdrop of the incident should be examined.

"We need to know the reasons that prepared the conditions for Oct. 7. We need to understand them well. And when we examine the background of how many Palestinians were martyred, how many Palestinians were killed, the situation reaches very, very different levels," he added.

Source - https://www.dailysabah.com

25.09.2024 10:11