Hamas fears warming in Turkey-Israel ties
Turkey has asked some Hamas members to leave Turkey and prevented others from entering the country.
Israel’s Israel Hayom daily reported April 26 that in February and March Turkey has requested dozens of Hamas activists to leave its territories, while preventing others from entering the country. The alleged request coincides with the rapprochement between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed Palestinian source as saying, “The change in Turkish policy appears to be the result of great pressure on Ankara at the economic level, amid the faltering Turkish economy and the collapse of the national currency, which caused prices to soar and Turkish purchasing power to tank. This prompted Ankara to shift positions in international and regional relations, which may affect Hamas’ presence in Turkey."
The report added that it was too early to state that there is a crisis in the relations between Turkey and Hamas, as tension exists but Hamas leaders are wary of efforts to shun Erdogan who, on April 17, condemned Israel's recent practices in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Hamas showed restraint amid the Turkish-Israeli rapprochement. The Islamic movement contented itself with criticizing Herzog's visit to Turkey on March 8. It, however, did not mention Turkey or Erdogan, and called in a March 9 press statement for “not providing the Zionist entity the opportunity to infiltrate the Arab and Islamic region and tamper with the interests of the Arab and Islamic peoples.”
