Hamas leader meets Turkish president amid talk of Jerusalem-Ankara detente
Hamas is closely following reports about rapprochement between Turkey and Israel and is waiting for official word from Ankara on the issue.
On Saturday, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal met in Istanbul with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the first meeting between the two since reports surfaced about an agreement between Turkey and Israel to restore diplomatic ties.
The Turkish news agency Anadolu said Mashaal briefed Erdogan on the latest political developments in the region during the 60-minute meeting.
The agency did not say whether the two also discussed the reconciliation between Turkey and Israel.
In an interview over the weekend, Mahmoud Zahar, a member of the Hamas leadership, refused to comment on the reports, including the possibility that Turkey was planning to impose restrictions on Hamas activities in the country.
“The picture remains unclear,” Zahar said. “We will announce our position once we see an official Turkish announcement.”
Zahar claimed the reports thus far are unverified and emanated from anonymous sources.
“Therefore, we can’t address these reports,” he explained.