Hamas is a resistance group that is defending its lands, says Turkish president

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization but a resistance group defending its lands.

"From 1947 until today, Palestine has been losing a lot of territory," Erdogan said in an interview with US-based NBC News.

"There are those who criticize you, Türkiye, for providing a home for Hamas, who the US say are terrorists, and you say that you are opposed to terrorism," said host Keir Simmons.

"We are, of course, against terrorists," said Erdogan.

"But I am one of the leaders who is very familiar with Hamas, and I’ve never called Hamas a terrorist organization, and I don’t approach Hamas as a terrorist organization now because Hamas is making efforts to protect their motherland," Erdogan added.

"Because Hamas is a resistance group that strives to protect its lands. Therefore, how can I call such a resistance group a terrorist organization?" he said.

Replying to a question on the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, the president said the backdrop of the incident should be examined.

"We need to know the reasons that prepared the conditions for Oct. 7. We need to understand them well. And when we examine the background of how many Palestinians were martyred, how many Palestinians were killed, the situation reaches very, very different levels," he added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,500 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and around 96,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

- Ukraine's NATO bid

During the interview, when asked about Ankara's view on Ukraine's NATO membership bid, Erdogan said that Türkiye would consider the positions of all NATO countries on this issue.

"America does not want Ukraine to join NATO in the first place. Many NATO countries do not want Ukraine to join NATO either. We need to recognize these facts and make our decision," the president said.

Erdogan said the question of Ukraine's NATO membership requires thorough consideration, noting: "When we look at these facts, these are not issues to be approached with excitement."

"When we make our decisions on these issues, of course, we put the stance of all NATO members on the table and make our decisions accordingly," Erdogan said, adding that Türkiye's final decision will come after considering the positions of other member nations.

"These decisions are not made in haste," said the president.

Ukraine has openly expressed its desire to join the NATO alliance.

While NATO has not yet offered Ukraine membership, the alliance has significantly strengthened its ties with Kyiv since the war with Russia began in February 2022.

*Diyar Guldogan and Hakan Copur from Washington, D.C. contributed to this story