FM denies claims of Hamas political bureau relocating to Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has denied claims that the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas radical group had moved from Qatar to Türkiye.

“We have already refuted these rumors. Qatar has also denied such claims. The Hamas political bureau has not relocated to Türkiye,” Fidan said, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Turkish authorities have previously stated that representatives of Hamas occasionally visit the country. However, claims regarding the relocation of the movement's political bureau to Türkiye are false.

Senior Hamas officials had moved from Qatar to Türkiye after Doha announced the suspension of its mediation efforts in Gaza. On November 9, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari stated that the country had decided to suspend its mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza due to a lack of willingness from the parties involved to end the conflict. However, he denied reports about the closure of Hamas' political bureau office in Doha.

The Hamas political office has been operating in Qatar since 2012, when the movement's leadership was forced to leave its headquarters in Damascus due to the civil war in Syria. Qatar provided political asylum to Hamas leaders, becoming a key hub for the movement's representation abroad.

Meanwhile, Fidan added that the supply of weapons to Ukraine by the US and Europe has led to a situation that can be described as a global war.  

“The Turkish side has consistently warned about the risk of a global war, a concern previously raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ankara is closely monitoring how the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are "deepening fault lines, uniting certain players, and increasing polarization," said Fidan. 

"As the US initially sent weapons to Ukraine, and later Europe joined, they have openly become parties to the conflict. In a broader sense, this can be described as a global war," the Turkish foreign minister said.

He also emphasised that the risk of nuclear war is not a joke.

By Naila Huseynova