Hamas leader meets Erdogan as Israel-Turkey ties warm

Special to WorldTribune.com

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Hamas leader Khaled Masha’al on Dec. 19, the first such meeting after reports of warming ties between Turkey and Israel.

Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reported that Masha’al briefed Erdogan on the latest political developments in the region during the 60-minute meeting in Istanbul.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Istanbul, Turkey, December 19, 2015 in this handout photo provided by the Presidential Palace. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, meets with Hamas leader Khaled Masha’al in Istanbul on Dec. 19.  /Reuters/Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace

The report did not indicate if Erdogan discussed reconciliation between Turkey and Israel with Masha’al.

Ahmed Yusef, a senior Hamas official, said improved relations between Israel and Turkey would not have a negative impact on Hamas.

“Policies among countries are based on interests,” Yusef said. “The normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel will not change Ankara’s position toward Hamas.”

Turkey is said to have issued two conditions for renewed ties with Israel: lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and payment of compensation for the families of Turkish nationals who were killed aboard the flotilla aid ship Mavi Marmara.

According to a report in the Turkish Sabah Daily, which is affiliated with Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, Israel will compensate the victims of the Mavi Marmara flotilla with a sum of $20 million.

Erdogan spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that “if the Israeli side will follow through in this matter, then we will act accordingly. There is a need to pay compensation, and achieve results in the negotiations that took place on this matter.”

The Sabah Daily report claimed that Turkey had already received Israel’s pledge to ease the blockade and added that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will close the deal by the end of 2015, and immediately restore diplomatic relations between both countries.

Erdogan told reporters recently that reconciliation “would be good for us, Israel, Palestine and the entire region.”

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