Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent hosting of Hamas leaders in Istanbul, coupled with an unprecedented endorsement of the jihadist group, underscore Turkey’s decision to elevate relations with an organization known for perpetrating acts of terror against civilians. This move, marked by a significant reference to Turkish history by Erdogan, signals an alarming new shift in Turkey’s foreign policy approach.
Erdogan’s characterization of Hamas as resistance fighters, likening them to Kuvay-i Milliye (Turkey’s National Forces), an irregular militia crucial in Turkey’s War of Independence following World War I, marks an important turning point. This comparison not only legitimizes Hamas within the broader Turkish public sphere but also opens the door for increased support for the jihadist group from Turkish government agencies and affiliated organizations.
“I am saying it very clearly and explicitly here. During the national struggle [for independence] in Turkey, what Kuvay-i Milliye was to Turkey, Hamas is exactly that. We are aware, of course, that there is a price to pay for saying this. We know that it’s difficult to declare truth and right during such a period. But let the whole world know, understand and comprehend,” President Erdogan declared on April 17.
The significance of such a comparison holds profound implications for the Turkish psyche. Kuvay-i Milliye was established in 1918 to resist the occupying Allied forces. Within two years it evolved into a regular army, incorporating many defecting factions from the Ottoman army, along with its officers.
The sultan, held hostage by the invading British forces in Istanbul, was compelled to establish a new militia known as Kuva-i İnzibatiyye (Forces of Order) in opposition to Kuvay-i Milliye. However, this British-endorsed initiative proved short-lived and ultimately unsuccessful.
The venue chosen for such a potent comparison between Hamas and Kuvay-i Milliye was also significant. Erdogan made these remarks in the Turkish Parliament, the very institution that sanctioned the formation of Kuvay-i Milliye, while addressing his party’s lawmakers. It was certainly not an off-the-cuff remark, but rather part of a well-calculated and articulated speech designed to bolster Hamas’s standing in Turkey.
“Even if I were left alone as Tayyip Erdogan, I would continue to defend the struggle of Palestine, to be the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people, and for as long as God gives me life, we will continue to do so,” Erdogan went on to say. “While no one else in the world could speak, we said, ‘Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a resistance group.’ We stood by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in every way, especially during their most difficult times. We mobilized all our resources for Palestine, for the oppressed people of Gaza.”
For Erdogan, mentioning Palestine equates to mentioning Hamas rather than al-Fatah. This characterization puts Hamas’s rival, Fatah, in a precarious position, indirectly likening Mahmoud Abbas, the chairman of Fatah and president of Palestine, to a captive Ottoman sultan betraying his own people.
It’s no secret that Erdogan has long favored Hamas, a part of the Muslim Brotherhood network with which Erdogan’s Turkish political Islamist network has had close ties for decades, at the expense of Fatah. However, he has never gone as far as to openly portray Abbas’s organization as the villain. In the same speech Erdogan also described Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as the leader of the Palestinian struggle, further undermining Abbas’s standing.
This move could help Hamas solidify its clout within Turkey’s non-Islamic circles, particularly among leftist and neo-nationalist blocs that have traditionally been more sympathetic to al-Fatah. In other words, President Erdogan, one of Hamas’s leading benefactors globally, has resonated with a broader audience in Turkey and the Turkic bloc of countries in Central Asia, in promoting the Hamas organization.
Hamas did not overlook the significance of this new comparison and expressed gratitude to Erdogan, stating that it was honored by such a description.
In the same speech Erdogan also lamented that some of the actions taken by his government may not be seen or understood in the Turkish and Muslim world, suggesting that covert operations to support Hamas have long been underway but were not publicly disclosed.
The second indication suggesting an elevation in Hamas-Turkey relations was the meeting between Hamas leaders and Turkey’s top leadership on April 20. Erdogan himself announced the upcoming visit during his parliamentary speech, where he likened Hamas to Kuvay-i Milliye. “This weekend, the leader of the Palestinian cause will be my guest. We will discuss and talk about many things together,” he said. Once again, Abbas was not part of the Turkish president’s agenda for promoting Palestine as a whole.
The meeting between Hamas and Turkish government leadership took place at the president’s Dolmabahçe office, adjacent to the lavish palace that served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century. Erdogan was accompanied by his national security, diplomacy and intelligence chiefs to welcome the Hamas leaders and discuss the roadmap for the future.
Hamas leader Haniyeh sat to the right of Erdogan, facing Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the former chief of Turkey’s national intelligence agency MIT, who was seated next to current intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Both Fidan and Kalin were nurtured in pro-Iranian Islamist circles during their youth and have close ties to the Iranian mullah regime.
The Turkish president’s chief foreign policy and security adviser, Akif Çağatay Kılıç, was also present at the meeting. In a criminal investigation made public in December 2013, Kılıç was identified as having close ties to Yasin al-Qadi, listed as an al-Qaeda financier on both the US Treasury and UN lists for many years, as well as his son Muaz al-Qadi (Kadıoğlu).
The presidency’s director of communications, Fahrettin Altun, whom the opposition likens to Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi propaganda minister, was also in attendance. Erdogan’s chief Middle East and North Africa advisor, Sefer Turan, who has called for the destruction of Israel and denied Israel’s right to exist, was also present at the meeting, translating the conversation.
Erdogan’s office released both video and still photos from the meeting, ensuring that everyone was aware of the encounter between the highest echelons of the Turkish government and Hamas’s top leadership. In the released footage, Erdogan warmly greeted Haniyeh with a handshake, an arm grab and three kisses on the cheek, intending to convey to the public that this was a dear friend deserving of the deepest respect and sympathy.
The Turkish president was also generous with his time, as the closed-door meeting lasted two-and-a-half hours. Statements released from the president’s office after the meeting said that Erdogan vowed to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against Palestinians and explained a series of sanctions taken by Turkey against Israel.
When asked during a press briefing about his meeting with Haniyeh, Erdogan was not forthcoming with the details. “Let’s keep the agenda between Mr. Haniyeh and myself and proceed accordingly,” he said.
However, the speech he delivered on April 26, at the fifth conference of the League of Parliamentarians for Al-Quds (LP4Q) provided some clues. LP4Q is a Muslim Brotherhood project established in October 2015 in Istanbul by Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood operative Hamid Abdullah Hussein al-Ahmar, who resides in Turkey. Al-Ahmar has established multiple companies in Turkey, promotes Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and enjoys the protection and support of the highest level of the Erdogan government.
Erdogan vowed to defend Palestine, hailed Hamas fighters as courageous sons of Palestine and called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a butcher, a pharaoh and a Nazi. He called for the annihilation of Zionists, saying, “Oh Netanyahu, here is my prayer: O Allah, manifest Your name al-Qahhar and bring utter destruction upon these Zionists, starting with Netanyahu.”
“We will continue to see Hamas, who defends their homeland against the occupiers, as our brothers, as the Kuvay-i Milliye of Palestine,” he stated. “We will courageously articulate this truth on every platform to the best of our ability. We will not hesitate to support the noble and honorable resistance of our Gazan brothers and sisters in the Palestinian cause with our voices, words, prayers and humanitarian aid, using all available means.”
Recalling his recent meeting with Hamas leaders, the Turkish president said, “I clearly expressed our resolute stance on this matter to the Hamas political leadership I met with last week. I told them very clearly that we share the pain of our brothers and sisters who have lost their sons, daughters, grandchildren and relatives in Israel’s attacks.”
Erdogan emphasized that he would never retreat from supporting Hamas, claiming he would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hamas to the end. “We embarked on this sacred path wearing our shrouds, meaning that we are ready to die. We have dedicated our lives to this sacred path. Throughout our half-century political career, we have never hesitated to pay the price for doing so,” he said.
“This process has revealed how the Zionist network has captured the economy, trade, media, art, cinema, thought, the world of academia and more. … It has become very clear in the past seven months how Zionism has created a terrifying climate of intimidation in almost every area, instilling fear in politicians, engaging in blackmail and keeping states under pressure.”
Many Hamas figures, including some senior leaders, have been residing and operating in Turkey with the protection and support of the Erdogan government. Turkish intelligence agency MIT has provided protective details for some Hamas leaders and has played a role in establishing headquarters for Hamas leadership in Istanbul.
While some Hamas front companies have been sanctioned by the US, they continue to conduct business and access the Turkish financial and banking system without hindrance. Additionally, some Hamas officials changed their names in Turkey after acquiring citizenship to conceal their identities.
