UPDATE - Turkish FM offers condolences to top Hamas official Meshaal over Haniyeh's assassination

UPDATES WITH STATEMENTS FROM TURKISH VICE PRESIDENT, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

By Muhammed Enes Calli, Harun Kutbe and Aynur Ekiz

ISTANBUL / Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has conveyed his condolences to Khaled Meshaal, the acting head of Hamas' political bureau, over the assassination of its former chief Ismail Haniyeh, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X on Friday.

Haniyeh's sons, Abdusselam and Hammam, were also present at the meeting in Doha, the ministry added.

Following a funeral in Tehran, Haniyeh's body arrived in Doha on Thursday, where he is expected to be buried on Friday.

The Palestinian resistance group and Iran announced Haniyeh’s assassination in an Israeli attack in Tehran early Wednesday, a day after he attended the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has remained silent about the killing.

"With all its means and strength, Türkiye will continue to support its oppressed Palestinian brothers, whose resilience remains unwavering even under the most difficult conditions,” Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on X after the funeral for Haniyeh.

“We will continue to work for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," Yilmaz added.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also extended his condolences over the assassination of Haniyeh.

"We bid farewell to our brother Haniyeh with prayers. After the funeral ceremony, we conveyed our condolences to Haniyeh’s esteemed family and to Khaled Meshaal, the acting head of Hamas' political bureau, on behalf of myself and all of Türkiye," Kurtulmus said on X.

*Zehra Nur Duz contributed to the story in Ankara