Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday condemned the “treacherous murder” of Ismail Haniyeh, a political leader of the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas, his close ally and “brother” in Tehran.
Erdogan denounced the “Zionist barbarity” on the X social media platform, writing: “May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh who was martyred after this despicable attack.”
“This shameful act is aimed at harming the Palestinian cause, the glorious Gaza resistance and the just fight of our Palestinian brothers, and at intimidating the Palestinians,” Erdogan said.
Turkey's foreign ministry earlier condemned the attack, calling it a “shameful murder”.
Haniyeh, who spent much time in Turkey before Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, last met Erdogan in Istanbul in April.
While Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Israel, Erdogan describes it as “a liberation movement”.
Under a 2011 deal that saw the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Turkey has granted asylum to Hamas officials.
AFP
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