Erdogan To Host Hamas Leader After Blaming Netanyahu For Iranian Strikes

Reports claiming that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to host Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau (effectively Hamas' leader) Ismail Haniyeh in Turkey over the weekend. Erdogan called Haniyeh the 'leader of the Palestinian cause' in his comments, which are likely to draw condemnation from Israel and its allies.

• Comes after wires reported comments from an unnamed Turkish diplomatic source stating that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar. The two discussed humanitairan aid to Gaza, and efforts on a ceasefire-for-hostages deal according to initial reports.
• On 16 April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimedthat the Israeli gov't of PM Benjamin Netanyahu was responsible for the Iranian missile/drone strikes over the weekend, "The main one responsible for the tension that gripped our hearts on the evening of April 13 is Netanyahu and his bloody administration...Those who have been silent for months about Israel’s aggressive attitude immediately condemned the Iranian response. But it’s Netanyahu himself who is the first who should be condemned.”
• Prior to 7 October and the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli-Turkish relations had been moving in a more cooperative direction to the point where a bilateral visit was on the cards. However, since the war Erdogan has emerged as one of Israel's most strident critics in the region. Indeed, while Arab nations such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia assisted Israel and its allies in the shooting down of Iranian drones and missiles, Turkish forces offered no such backing.