[IsraelTimes] The US warns Turkey against hosting Hamas leaders, after an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel over the weekend that the terror group’s senior officials based in Doha fled last week to Ankara.Turkey has not denied that Hamas officials are now in the country, but has insisted that it is not opening an office for them.
The US says it asked Qatar to oust Hamas leaders, arguing that the terror group has refused to substantively engage in negotiations for months.
Qatar has denied taking this step due to US pressure, but has admitted to halting its mediating role.
Asked during a press briefing about The Times of Israel’s reporting on Hamas officials moving to Turkey, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Washington does not “believe the leaders of a vicious terrorist organization should be living comfortably anywhere,” including NATO allies such as Turkey.
Miller notes that some Hamas officials, such as Khaled Meshaal, are under US indictment and should be turned over to the United States.
“We will make clear to the government of Turkey, as we have made clear to every country in the world, that there can be no more business as usual with Hamas,” he adds.
Turkish official denies that Hamas leaders booted from Qatar have moved there, says they’re just visiting
| Taqqiya — and not even pretending about it. |
Doha said last week it had told Hamas and Israel it will halt its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show willingness and seriousness.
Turkey has fiercely criticized Israel over its offensives in Gaza and in Lebanon and does not deem Hamas a terrorist organization. Some Hamas political officials regularly visit Turkey.
The denials come after an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel yesterday that senior members of Hamas’s abroad leadership left Qatar last week for Turkey.
The Arab diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, downplayed the significance of the move for the terror group, stressing that Hamas’s leadership abroad already spends much of its time in Turkey when they are not holding meetings in Qatar.