Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, March 9, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Erdogan says Turkey ‘firmly backs’ Hamas leaders
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following their meeting at Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, March 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Ankara “firmly backs” Hamas.
“No one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organization,” he says in a speech in Istanbul. “Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them.”
