Erdogan: I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist movement but resisting an occupation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his denial that Hamas is a terrorist organization, stressing that its a resistance movement defending its occupied territories.

This came during a joint press conference, held on Monday, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

“I don’t see Hamas as a terrorist organization, on the contrary, I see it as people fighting to protect their land and people,” Erdogan said.

He pointed to the martyrdom of tens of thousands of Palestinians at the hands of Israel, which is resisted by Hamas, stressing the need to recognize this.

The Turkish president said calling Hamas a terrorist organization was a tough approach.

He pointed out that Israel ignored calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and continued to target the city of Rafah, the last resort for civilians, without any mercy.

He stressed the need for the international community, led by Western countries, to speak out loudly against the martyrdom of more than 35,000 innocent Palestinian civilians, including 15,000 children.

On the UN General Assembly resolution on full membership of Palestine, he said it had shown that the key to a permanent solution was the establishment of an independent, sovereign and territorial Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“We’ll continue our diplomatic contacts with determination to force Israel to cease fire and to further recognize the State of Palestine,” he said.

Erdogan pointed out during his speech that there are more than a thousand Palestinians receiving treatment in hospitals inside Türkiye.

Since 7 October, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, mostly children and women, massive destruction, and famine that has claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Israel continues its war despite an immediate Security Council resolution and despite being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide.