Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Qatar over the weekend during Fidan’s visit for a ministerial meeting on Turkey’s ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Turkey’s current leadership has consistently supported Hamas, hosting Hamas leaders on several occasions, even after the October 7 massacre. As a member of NATO, Turkey stands alongside Qatar as one of the two Western allies backing Hamas.
Fidan shared his pride about the meeting with the Hamas leader on the social media platform X, stating: “Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met with Ismail Haniyeh, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, on the margins of the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of Turkey-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) High-Level Strategic Dialogue, in Doha.”
Turkey aims to establish itself as the primary supporter of Hamas in the ongoing conflict. It also seeks to legitimize Hamas by holding meetings like this one, portraying Hamas not only as the governing body of Gaza but also as representing all Palestinians.
