Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan asserted on Wednesday that he does not consider the Palestinian militant group Hamas to be a terrorist organization.
He described Hamas as a liberation group, using the term ‘mujahideen,’ which denotes those who fight for their faith, and stated that they are fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people.
Erdogan said this while addressing lawmakers from his ruling AK Party.
“Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, ‘mujahideen’ waging a battle to protect its lands and people,” he said.
Erdogan also slammed Western powers for their “unlimited” support to Israel, saying it has led to the massacres in Gaza and called for unity among Muslim countries, particularly in the Arab world, to achieve lasting peace in the Israel-Palestine region.
He further urged an immediate ceasefire between the parties.
Recall that the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel on 7 October, with hundreds of gunmen infiltrating communities near the Gaza Strip.
More than 1,400 Israelis were killed, while the Israeli military says more than 220 soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were taken to Gaza as hostages.
More than 5,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in air and artillery strikes carried out by the Israeli military in response, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israeli troops have also massed along the Gaza boundary and Palestinians are bracing themselves for a major ground operation.