The US State Department is condemning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for hosting two leaders of the Hamas terror group in Istanbul over the weekend.
Erdogan met with Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh and top Hamas commander Saleh al-Arouri on Saturday for closed door talks.
“President Erdogan’s continued outreach to this terrorist organization only serves to isolate Turkey from the international community, harms the interests of the Palestinian people, and undercuts global efforts to prevent terrorist attacks launched from Gaza,” Foggy Bottom says in a statement.
“We continue to raise our concerns about the Turkish government’s relationship with Hamas at the highest levels. This is the second time President Erdogan has welcomed Hamas leadership to Turkey this year, with the first meeting occurring February 1,” it adds.
Erdogan also spoke to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by phone on Friday.
Turkey’s government is a key backer of Hamas, which the US has designated a terror group, but is also closely allied with the US. Erdogan and US President Donald Trump are thought to have a close working relationship.
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