Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Head of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh in Türkiye's largest city, Istanbul. The news came after Qatar said it is re-evaluating its role as mediator in truce negotiations. Turkey however has no chance to mediate talks between the two foes as it has “burned its bridges with Israel”.

İstanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently held a meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, the Head of the Hamas Political Bureau, in Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city. This significant meeting between Erdogan and Haniyeh underscores the ongoing diplomatic activities in the region and comes at a time when Qatar has announced its intention to reassess its role as a mediator in the ceasefire negotiations between conflicting parties.

During the meeting, discussions were expected to cover a range of critical issues, including the latest stance of Hamas on ceasefire talks and the situation concerning Israeli hostages currently held by Hamas. Erdogan's interest in the meeting was reportedly to gauge Hamas's needs concerning humanitarian aid and the potential reconstruction of Gaza post-conflict. Haniyeh, on his part, sought to update Erdogan on these pressing matters, given Turkey's influential role in international affairs and its significant support within the Muslim world.

Erdogan has positioned Turkey as a key player in regional conflicts, extending its influence through various means, including military support. The country has supplied military drones to Ukraine, assisted Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia with drone technology, and provided military advisers to Libya. In the context of the Gaza conflict, Turkey has facilitated aid to the Palestinians through Egypt, marking Erdogan's active involvement in the region's affairs.

However, the potential for Turkey to mediate between Israel and Hamas seems highly unlikely due to strained relations between Türkiye and Israel. The two nations have seen a significant downturn in diplomatic relations, with ambassadors withdrawn from each other's capitals following the Gaza conflict. Erdogan's comparison of Israel's actions in Gaza to those of Nazi Germany further complicates the possibility of Türkiye acting as a mediator. While Qatar has indicated a desire to step back from its mediating role, experts argue that Qatar and Egypt remain the most viable mediators in the conflict, leaving little room for Türkiye to step in due to its current standing with Israel.



Turkish president meets Hamas leader in Istanbul

Yes, he has been discreet. He said to the press yesterday that this meeting was between him and Hamas. In other words, he was telling the press to keep out of it. Look, Turkey is a big player in this region. It has an enormous army, and it's playing a role in every conflict in the region. He is supplying military drones to Ukraine. He supplied drones to Azerbaijan during its conflict with Armenia. He is supplying military advisers to Libya. And in Gaza, he is supplying aid to the Palestinians via Egypt. So Erdogan wants to know Hamas's latest position on ceasefire talks and the release of the Israeli hostages that Hamas is holding. He will also want to be sounding out Haniyeh on the aid that the Palestinians need, and perhaps even talking about post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza. Haniyeh, for his side, he knows that Erdogan has a voice in Washington and London, and he wants to fill Erdogan in. He knows that Turkey's support is important to Hamas in the Muslim world. And Jasper, Qatar and Egypt have really been the main mediators between Israel and Hamas, though Qatar recently indicated it would take a step back. Is there any chance Turkey could step in and fill in that gap? No chance whatsoever. Turkey has burnt its bridges with Israel. The two countries have recalled their ambassadors from each other's capitals over this Gaza conflict. Just on Wednesday, President Erdogan likened Israel's conduct in Gaza to that of Nazi Germany. There's no chance that Turkey could win the trust of Israel, which is necessary to be a mediator. You know, I think although Qatar wants to pull back now, Qatar and Egypt are still far and away the two countries that have the best chances of mediating between Israel and Hamas.

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