For years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been playing a sleazy double game: presenting himself to the West as a regional mediator and responsible NATO ally while simultaneously transforming Turkey into asanctuaryfor Hamas terrorists outside the Gaza Strip.
New revelations emerging from Israeli security investigations have shattered any illusion that Turkey's relationship with Hamas is limited to "political support" or "diplomatic engagement." The evidence increasingly points to a situation far more alarming: Turkey has become a primary operational, logistical, and financial hub for Hamas's global terror infrastructure.
Countries that enable terrorism cannot at the same time be treated as indispensable partners in the fight against terrorism.
A recentreportby Israel's public broadcaster KAN revealed that Hamas operatives have been openly participating in combat training exercises at shooting clubs across Turkey.
The Hamas members, according to thereport, have been training in civilian clothing to avoid suspicion while learning firearms tactics and advanced combat techniques. More disturbing are reports that Hamas members have been enrolling in professional drone-pilot courses and receiving official Turkish licenses to fly drones.
The training, according to Israeli officials cited in thereport, is intended topreparethe Hamas members for deployment to Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank for possible future attacks on Israel.
This is not "symbolic" support for the Palestinian cause. It is military assistance, equivalent to the support the Iranian regime has been providing to Hamas for decades.
Drones are now among the most important tools used by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, in theirjihad(holy war) against Israel. Hamas used drones extensively during its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, as well as in attacks on Israeli surveillance systems and military bases.
By allowing Hamas members to develop drone capabilities on Turkish soil, Ankara is deliberately grooming terrorists for future wars against Israel.
Turkey, rather than simply hosting Hamas officials, is willfully cultivating the next generation of Hamas terrorists and making sure that the geographical reach of Iran's jihadist axis continues to expand.
Source: Gatestone Institute :: Articles
