The meeting comes amid reports that Hamas is looking for a new headquarters outside of Qatar, although the movement does not have an official headquarters in Doha.
British newspaper “The Telegraph” said that Doha is frustrated by the failure of cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani had said that “Qatar is in the process of a complete reassessment”. .” “For her role.”
Hamas denied a Wall Street Journal report that said the movement had “contacted Oman and a country in the region in recent days to ask if it could go there.”
The meeting between Haniyeh and Erdogan “has raised suspicions that Turkey wants to fill the gap left by Qatar,” the Telegraph said. “
Alternative residence?
Erdogan discussed Haniyeh's efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid during a meeting in Istanbul, the official Turkish Radio and Television Agency (TRT) reported on Saturday.
The Turkish presidency released pictures of the head of state presiding over the meeting, with Haniyeh to his right and members of his accompanying delegation, including Khaled Meshaal, one of the most prominent leaders of Hamas, whom Erdogan embraced upon his arrival. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin were also present at the meeting, according to the photos.
According to a statement by the Turkish president, Erdogan said: “Palestinians' unity in this process is essential for a strong response to Israel and a path to victory.”
After recent tensions between Israel and Iran, Erdogan stressed that “what happened should not be Israel's gain, and it is important to move to focus on Gaza.”
The statement also noted that the Turkish president said that Ankara would continue humanitarian aid to Palestine in order to reduce the suffering of the people in Gaza as much as possible. Erdogan also recalled that his country had imposed “a number of sanctions, including trade restrictions on Israel” since April 9.
Haniyeh arrived Friday evening at the head of a Hamas delegation to Istanbul, one of his residences since 2011, his first official visit since the start of the war in Gaza last January.
