Erdogan, a longtime supporter of Hamas, has harshly criticized Israel over the war, launched in response to the Gaza-ruling terror group’s shock October 7 onslaught, in which some 1,200 people were murdered and 253 taken hostage. The Turkish leader has called for an immediate ceasefire and backed legal steps for Israel to be tried for genocide, a charge that the Jewish state and its supporters have dismissed as unfounded.
Unlike its Western allies and some Arab nations, NATO member Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist group.
Iran leads what it calls the “Axis of Resistance,” a loose coalition that includes Hamas and armed Shi’ite Muslim groups around the region that have militarily confronted Israel and its Western allies, among them Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror organization and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is also a key backer of Hamas.
Speaking at a news conference after meeting Raisi in Ankara, Erdogan said the two leaders had discussed ending Israel’s “inhumane” attacks on Gaza and the need to take steps for a fair and lasting peace in the region. READ MORE
