(AP-Boston Globe) Christopher Torchia - Ties between Turkey and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that says Israel should not exist, are blossoming. Last month, Hamas premier Ismail Haniyeh visited the Turkish prime minister at his Istanbul home. Yigal Palmor, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, noted that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan made "very friendly statements" toward Hamas and absolved the group of responsibility for attacks on Israeli civilians. "If Turkey's approach would have the effect of moderating Hamas, then we could understand the strategy," Palmor said. "But in fact, the opposite is true. Hamas in all its public statements continues to toe its ultra-extremist line, and the Turkish government is the one that distanced itself from Israel. So it looks like Hamas is influencing the Turkish government, and not vice versa." Henri Barkey, a Turkey analyst at Lehigh University, said, "the very fact that they [Hamas] have Turkish support may convince them that they don't have to change their line."
2012-02-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive