Turkish President Erdogan Condemns ‘Perfidious Assassination’ of Hamas Leader in Tehran

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly condemned the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas, in Tehran. Haniyeh, who was a close ally of Erdogan, was assassinated in a "shameful and odious attack" that was denounced by the Turkish President.

Erdogan, in a statement on his social media platform, wrote: "May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, fallen in martyrdom after this odious attack." He also denouncing "Zionist barbarity" and claimed that the assassination was aimed at sabotaging the Palestinian cause and intimidating Palestinians.

Turkey’s foreign ministry also weighed in, describing the attack as a "shameful assassination". Erdogan and Haniyeh had met in Istanbul in April, just weeks before the attack. The Turkish government has long been a strong supporter of Hamas, viewing it as a "liberation movement" rather than a terrorist organization.

In 2011, Turkey and Hamas signed an agreement that saw over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Since then, Turkey has provided a refuge for Hamas officials, further deepening its ties with the group.

As the international community continues to mourn the loss of Ismail Haniyeh, tensions between Turkey and Israel are expected to escalate in the coming days.