The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said on Wednesday that the Palestinian militant group Hamas are not a “terrorist organisation.”
Erdogan told his ruling AK Party that Muslim countries must come together to secure peace in the region.
He told the AK Party, “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a liberation group, ‘mujahideen’ waging a battle to protect its lands and people.”
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Erdogan slammed Western leaders for their support of Israel’s strikes against Hamas, he said, “Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud.”
Turkey who are a NATO member but does not consider Hamas a terrorist group unlike most Western countries.
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who said that Hamas are terrorists and hit back at Erdogan saying his words are “grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation.”
Salvini said, “I will propose to my colleague (Foreign Minister Antonio) Tajani to send a formal protest and to summon the Turkish Ambassador.”
