Turkey has given passports to a dozen Hamas members in Istanbul
A senior Israeli diplomat reported on Wednesday that Turkey gave passports to a dozen members of Hamas in Istanbul, and he described this move as a very unfriendly step which his government would raise with Turkish officials.
After the president of Turkey met Hamas chiefs, charge business Roey Gilad reported that Israel had informed Turkey last year that Hamas was carrying out terror-related activity in Istanbul, however, Turkey didn’t act.
Gilad also declared that Israel is sure that Turkey has given passports and identity cards to members of Hamas, which controls Gaza and the US, Israel and the European Union considered it as a terrorist organization, he also said: Some are in the process, some already got (the documents), but we are talking about around a dozen, adding: We have already one document that we will present to the government in the copy. Judging by the last experience we had by presenting a well-based portfolio to the government… and getting no reply, I must say I don’t have high hopes that something will be done this time.
Indeed, Erdogan welcomed on Saturday Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other officials in Istanbul for the second time this year, this induces objections from Washington that associated one of the men to terrorist offenses, hijackings, and kidnappings. While Ankara declared that it rejected the criticism of the US.
Charge business Gilad also reported that the members of Hamas, who received Turkish documents, financed and organized terrorism from Istanbul while Turkey has earlier denied that. Several of them came to Turkey under a 2011 agreement between Turkey and Israel to replace a seized Israeli soldier for more than 1,000 prisoners, in what Gilad declared.
Otherwise, Hamas occupied Gaza from the loyal forces to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007, and the group has conducted three battles with Israel, and according to Turkey, Hamas is a legitimate political movement that was elected democratically.
