ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey’s Prime Minister said that his country does not regard Hamas as a terrorist organization, just as Ankara was sidestepping blame for Islamists using its territory to cross into Syria, including a suspected accomplice in last week’s Paris attacks.
“Turkey is friends with Palestine and we have a strong mutual relationship with its leaders,” Ahmet Davutoglu said.
“Hamas has not launched any terror attack, and they even condemned the recent terror attacks in Paris,” the Turkish premier said. “If their land was not conquered, there would be no need for the existence of Hamas and that is the reason why we do not see them as a terrorist movement,” he added.
His comments followed criticism by the US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, who said that Washington was concerned about Turkey’s close ties with Hamas and a recent visit by its leader Khaled Mishaal.
Hamas has denied reports that Mishaal could move to Turkey, after being expelled from Qatar.
Last week, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his lavish, 1,150-room presidential palace in a grand ceremony that included 16 men dressed as ancient Turkish warriors.
Turkey has come under renewed criticism for its ties with Islamic extremists, after acknowledging that Hayat Boumeddiene, wanted in connection with the Paris terror attacks last week, had escaped to Syria through Turkey.
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