Erdogan Claims to Be More Informed About Palestinian Hamas Than the United States

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that he is more informed about the Palestinian Hamas movement than the United States. In an interview on a flight back from the UAE, he recounted his first visit to America, where he met with representatives of the Jewish community 20 years ago. They asked him about Hamas, to which he replied, 'Hamas is not a terrorist organization; these are simply people who continue their struggle for a small piece of land they have managed to hold onto since 1947.'

'I still hold the same position. I will never be able to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, no matter what anyone says. Hamas is primarily the reality of Palestine; it is a political party and has participated in elections and won,' the Turkish leader emphasized.