Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the
Palestinian militant group Hamas is not a terrorist organisation.
Erdogan described Hamas as a liberation group fighting to
protect Palestinian lands and their people.
NATO member Turkey condemned the civilian deaths caused by
Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel but also urged Israeli forces to act
with restraint.
As the violence and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza have
worsened, Ankara has strongly criticised Israel’s bombardment of the territory.
Erdogan made the proclamation while speaking with lawmakers
from his ruling AK Party, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for
their faith.
“Hamas is not a terrorist organisation; it is a liberation
group, Mujahideen, waging a battle to protect its lands and people,” he said.
Unlike many of its NATO allies and the European Union,
Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation and hosts members of
the group on its territory.
Ankara backs a two-state solution to the decades-old
Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Erdogan also slammed Western powers for supporting Israel’s
bombing of Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered entry of
humanitarian aid into Gaza, and for Muslim countries to work together to stop
the violence.
“The perpetrators of the massacre and the destruction taking
place in Gaza are those providing unlimited support for Israel,” Erdogan said.
“Israel’s attacks on Gaza, for both itself and those
supporting them, amount to murder and mental illness.’’
Erdogan’s comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy’s Deputy
Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were “grave and disgusting and did
not help with de-escalation.”
He urged Italy’s foreign minister to lodge a formal protest
with Ankara.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com