Erdogan says Turkey ‘firmly backs’ Hamas leaders

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara “firmly backs” Palestinian terror group Hamas amid its ongoing war with Israel in the Gaza Strip, triggered by its October 7 killing spree across southern Israel.

“No one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization,” he said in a speech in Istanbul. “Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them.”

Hamas is listed as a terror organization by the US, Israel, the UK, the European Union, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.

In October, Erdogan claimed that Hamas was “not a terrorist organization” but “a group of mujahideen defending their lands.” “Mujahideen” is an Arabic term for those engaged in jihad, or holy war.