Ankara condemns assassination of Hamas leader, Haniyeh in Tehran

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other officials strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran.

The Turkish President expressed his outrage and denounced the treacherous assassination on the social media platform X on Wednesday, calling it “a deliberate attempt to undermine the Palestinian cause.”

He said “This assassination is a vile act aimed at thwarting the Palestinian cause, demoralising the Gaza resistance, and intimidating our Palestinian brothers.

“Just as with the previous heinous attacks on Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, and numerous other Gazan political figures, the goal behind Haniyeh’s assassination is clear; however, Zionist barbarism will once again fail to achieve its goals.

“With the united stance of the Islamic world and the alliance of humanity, the oppression and genocide in Gaza, as well as the terror spread by Israel in our region, will surely end, bringing peace to our region and the world,” Erdoğan stated.

Broad disapproval of the assassination has been expressed in Turkish political circles.

The criticism from the Foreign Ministry took a significant diplomatic stand because it was specifically aimed at the Netanyahu administration rather than the state of Israel.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry stressed the wider consequences for regional stability in a written statement on July 31.

Foreign Minister Fidan shared a photo from his last meeting with Haniyeh on his “X” account, expressing “his sorrow” over the killing of the Hamas leader.

“Ismail Haniyeh was a symbol of the glorious Palestinian resistance,” he posted, adding “His cherished memory will live on in the just cause of the Palestinian people.