Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterates his position that Hamas is not a terror group and says they must be involved in any solution for Gaza after the war.
“I stand by my position. No matter what anybody says, I cannot accept Hamas as a terror group,” Erdogan tells reporters on his plane, according to Turkish media.
His comments came in response to a question about possible US sanctions that Turkey could face for supporting and funding Hamas.
The Turkish leader also says that Hamas must be involved in any post-war scenario for Gaza, saying the “exclusion and destruction of Hamas is not an option.”
In addition, Erdogan calls on the ICC to punish Israeli officials, whom he calls “the butchers of Gaza.” He singles out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Turkey maintains deep ties with Hamas. Erdogan has been in close contact with the Hamas leadership since the start of the war, and has allowed the terror group to operate from an office in Istanbul for over a decade, insisting that it only hosts the group’s political wing.
Content retrieved from: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/erdogan-i-cannot-accept-hamas-as-a-terror-group/.