Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here.
Since the war in Gaza began, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of Israel’s harshest and most vocal critics – routinely branding it a terror state, comparing its prime minister to Hitler and heaping praise on Hamas.
The Palestinian militant group is considered a terror group by most members of NATO, but not Turkey.
Some Western critics might accuse Erdogan of going too far in supporting Hamas, but recent events suggest he has not yet appeased his domestic political base.
After Erdogan’s ruling party was handed a humbling defeat in local elections in March, he promised to think hard about what went wrong. Beyond the sputtering Turkish economy – many pundits blamed the electoral setback on his stance on Israel and its war in Gaza.
Political challengers, like the smaller, ultra-conservative New Welfare party, managed to siphon off votes from the president’s ruling AK Party by taking a tougher stance against Israel and demanding concrete actions beyond the fiery rhetoric Erdogan is known for.
“We do not see (the government) doing anything other than speaking and condemning. There are no sanctions, no concrete steps taken, trade with Israel still continues,” said New Welfare’s leader Fatih Erbakan in March.
The president may have believed that strong rhetoric against Israel was enough, Seda Demiralp, a political scientist at Isik University, told CNN after the election. “Erdogan really underestimated New Welfare and how much New Welfare could mobilize conservative voters.”
After the election, Erdogan wasted little time correcting course, swiftly moving to match words with actions. In a matter of days, some trade with Israel was cut off. Three weeks later, all trade was cut off. Some $7 billion worth of annual trade – mostly Turkish exports – is now on pause until the war is over.
That wasn’t all. Last month, Turkey announced its intention to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Already warm ties with Hamas were made even warmer when Erdogan hosted the group’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on April 20, and posed with him for pictures.
Erdogan has compared Hamas to the “Kuvayi Milliye,” the nationalist militias that fought against foreign occupation during the Turkish War of Independence after World War I.
“Believe me, if it were 100 years ago, they would also call Kuvayi Milliye a terrorist organization, a rebel, a joke, a traitor,” Erdogan said in a speech to party lawmakers in May, according to state broadcaster TRT. “This nation has always stood by the oppressed.”
The gap between how Turkey and its NATO allies view Hamas was on full, awkward display when Erdogan hosted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last month in Ankara.
“I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist organization,” Erdogan declared. “On the contrary, Hamas is an organization of resistance, whose territories have been occupied since 1947 and which has been defending its territories after the occupation… If you call them a ‘terrorist organization,’ it will upset us.”
Erdogan went on to claim that “over 1,000 Hamas members are now under treatment in our hospitals in Turkey.”
A Turkish official with knowledge of the situation has since told CNN the president misspoke. “He meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, who aren’t Hamas members,” the official said.
Since the war began, the Turkish Ministry of Health has made several medical airlifts of injured Gazans and their family members to hospitals in Turkey.
Turkey’s relationship with the Palestinian militant group Hamas has long been a source of contention, especially with Israel. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Turkey has become a strong backer of Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. But does this mean Hamas is actually operating within Turkey’s borders? Let’s take a deeper look.
Background on Hamas
Hamas stands for Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya, which translates to “Islamic Resistance Movement” It was founded in 1987 at the start of the First Intifada against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories Hamas opposes Israel’s right to exist and has carried out suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. It has been designated a terrorist organization by countries including the United States, Canada, and Japan.
However, Hamas also functions as a political entity. It won Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and wrested control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a civil war with rival party Fatah. Hamas governs Gaza independently from Fatah-controlled Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank. Its political wing provides social services while its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, continues armed resistance against Israel.
Erdogan’s Public Support for Hamas
Turkey officially recognizes Hamas as a legitimate political party rather than a terrorist group. Under President Erdogan and his Islamist Justice and Development (AKP) Party, Turkey has developed close ties with Hamas over the past two decades.
In 2006, soon after Hamas’ election victory, Turkey invited Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal for a state visit. Erdogan has since hosted Hamas leaders like Ismail Haniyeh and Saleh al-Arouri in Ankara on many occasions.
Erdogan describes Hamas members as “freedom fighters” defending Palestinian lands. He has fiercely criticized Israel’s military operations and blockade against Gaza. During the 2023 war, Erdogan referred to Israel’s actions as “genocide” and compared them to Nazi atrocities.
Domestically, Erdogan’s staunch defense of Hamas plays well with his conservative, religious support base. But it has damaged Turkey’s relations with Israel and drawn international criticism.
Evidence of Hamas Presence in Turkey
In recent years Israeli intelligence has warned that Hamas operates terrorist infrastructure on Turkish soil. Here are some of the key allegations
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In 2011, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency accused Hamas of running a “command post” in Turkey to direct operations in the West East.
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In 2014, Shin Bet said Hamas planned and directed the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers from within Turkey. The abduction helped spark that year’s Gaza war.
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In 2020, Israeli officials alleged Turkey supplied passports and IDs to Hamas members in Istanbul.
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Currently, Israel claims Turkey allows Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas military leader, to operate freely in the country. Al-Arouri allegedly commands Hamas militant cells in the West Bank from Turkey.
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After a recent West Bank raid, Israel said it found a network of Hamas operatives trained and funded by Turkey. Documents showed money transfers from Turkish front companies.
Erdogan Denies Allegations
Erdogan rejects Israel’s reports that Hamas directs militant activities from Turkish territory. However, he proudly confirms that Turkey provides medical aid and other support to Hamas members.
In a 2024 interview, Erdogan stated: “It is out of the question for us to prevent [Hamas members] who wish to come to Turkey. We do not prevent them. Because we fully believe the Palestinian cause is a fair cause.”
During the 2023 war, Erdogan confirmed that Turkey was treating injured Hamas fighters in its hospitals. When confronted on this by the U.S., he responded: “We will continue to give all kinds of support to Palestine.”
The evidence suggests Hamas has an active presence in Turkey facilitated by Erdogan’s government. Israel accuses Hamas of directing terrorist operations from Turkish soil, a charge Turkey denies.
What’s clear is that Turkey serves as a safe haven for Hamas leaders to meet, organize, and raise funds. Hamas likely carries out some activities in Turkey that would be prohibited in most countries. But the true extent remains murky, hidden beneath the conflicting politics surrounding this controversial relationship.
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Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here.
Since the war in Gaza began, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of Israel’s harshest and most vocal critics – routinely branding it a terror state, comparing its prime minister to Hitler and heaping praise on Hamas.
The Palestinian militant group is considered a terror group by most members of NATO, but not Turkey.
Some Western critics might accuse Erdogan of going too far in supporting Hamas, but recent events suggest he has not yet appeased his domestic political base.
After Erdogan’s ruling party was handed a humbling defeat in local elections in March, he promised to think hard about what went wrong. Beyond the sputtering Turkish economy – many pundits blamed the electoral setback on his stance on Israel and its war in Gaza.
Political challengers, like the smaller, ultra-conservative New Welfare party, managed to siphon off votes from the president’s ruling AK Party by taking a tougher stance against Israel and demanding concrete actions beyond the fiery rhetoric Erdogan is known for.
“We do not see (the government) doing anything other than speaking and condemning. There are no sanctions, no concrete steps taken, trade with Israel still continues,” said New Welfare’s leader Fatih Erbakan in March.
The president may have believed that strong rhetoric against Israel was enough, Seda Demiralp, a political scientist at Isik University, told CNN after the election. “Erdogan really underestimated New Welfare and how much New Welfare could mobilize conservative voters.”
After the election, Erdogan wasted little time correcting course, swiftly moving to match words with actions. In a matter of days, some trade with Israel was cut off. Three weeks later, all trade was cut off. Some $7 billion worth of annual trade – mostly Turkish exports – is now on pause until the war is over.
That wasn’t all. Last month, Turkey announced its intention to join the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Already warm ties with Hamas were made even warmer when Erdogan hosted the group’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on April 20, and posed with him for pictures.
Erdogan has compared Hamas to the “Kuvayi Milliye,” the nationalist militias that fought against foreign occupation during the Turkish War of Independence after World War I.
“Believe me, if it were 100 years ago, they would also call Kuvayi Milliye a terrorist organization, a rebel, a joke, a traitor,” Erdogan said in a speech to party lawmakers in May, according to state broadcaster TRT. “This nation has always stood by the oppressed.”
The gap between how Turkey and its NATO allies view Hamas was on full, awkward display when Erdogan hosted Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis last month in Ankara.
“I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist organization,” Erdogan declared. “On the contrary, Hamas is an organization of resistance, whose territories have been occupied since 1947 and which has been defending its territories after the occupation… If you call them a ‘terrorist organization,’ it will upset us.”
“We can agree to disagree on this topic,” Mitsotakis replied.
Erdogan went on to claim that “over 1,000 Hamas members are now under treatment in our hospitals in Turkey.”
A Turkish official with knowledge of the situation has since told CNN the president misspoke. “He meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, who aren’t Hamas members,” the official said.
Since the war began, the Turkish Ministry of Health has made several medical airlifts of injured Gazans and their family members to hospitals in Turkey.
For Erdogan, ‘Hamas is Palestine’
Experts say the comment made by Erdogan in the presence of the Greek leader may have in fact been intended for an audience closer to home.
“Western leaders right now are very aware that Erdogan is basically talking for his domestic audience and for the Muslim neighborhood,” said Evren Balta, an international relations professor at Ozyegin University in Istanbul.
Domestically, she said, the president has managed to link Hamas and the Palestinians to the point that “when you are criticizing Hamas publicly, it is as if you’re criticizing the Palestinian cause.”
That, coupled with the strong affinity the Turkish public has with Palestinians, has led politicians of all stripes to tread carefully on the issue, particularly some secular and nationalist opposition parties.
“For Erdogan, Hamas is Palestine. For the opposition, Hamas is not Palestine, but they are having difficulties framing the political discourse,” Balta said.
At a political rally ahead of the March local elections, Ozgur Ozel, leader of the secular CHP party established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, highlighted his party’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and sought to counter claims that he regards Hamas as a terrorist organization.
“I have not called Hamas a terrorist organization, but I have condemned its terrorist attacks,” he said. “I also condemned Israel’s state terrorism.”
He then went on to taunt the president. “Now come on, Erdogan. If you are on Palestine’s side, stop the trade that your relatives, children, supporters and friends do with Israel every day.”
After the elections, Istanbul’s CHP mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – widely touted as a future presidential contender – took fierce criticism from political rivals and in the Turkish press for branding Hamas as a terrorist organization in an interview with CNN in April. This was despite his harsh condemnation of Israel and its “brutal oppression” of Palestinians.
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