Erdogan says Hamas not terrorists but ‘mujahideen defending their lands,’ cancels Israel trip

By Lazar Berman

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and Agencies 25 October 2023, 1:02 pm

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Turkish President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a sign showing the evolution of lands in Israel on maps at his party's group meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Speaking to a gathering of his AK party faction in parliament, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Israel “can view Hamas as a terrorist organization along with the West. The West owes you a lot. But Turkey does not owe you anything.”

“Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a group of mujahideen defending their lands,” he says to a standing ovation.

Erdogan also says he is canceling plans to visit Israel because of its “inhumane” war.

“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was canceled, we will not go,” Erdogan says.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking in Qatar, accuses Israel of “a crime against humanity” in its campaign in Gaza.

“Targeting our Palestinian brothers, including children, patients and the elderly, even in schools, hospitals and mosques, is a crime against humanity,” he says, alongside Qatari FM Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.