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Erdogan calls for Palestinians to unite

Erdogan calls for Palestinians to unite

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Palestinians to unite amid Israel's war in Gaza.

He made this statement after holding a meeting, which lasted several hours, with the head of Hamas - the Palestinian group declared a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - Ismail Haniyeh, in Istanbul on April 20.

Erdogan has sought, but so far failed, to present himself as a mediator in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which began on October 7 after the radical Palestinian group attacked southern Israel. Also, tensions are high in the Middle East, as attacks between Iran and Israel have been reported.

Erdogan said that the unity of the Palestinians is "vital", after the meeting he held with the political leader of Hamas in the Dolmabahçe Palace.

"The strong response to Israel and the path to victory depend on unity and integrity," Erdogan said, according to the media release.

With Qatar saying it will reassess its role as a mediator between Hamas and Israel, Erdogan sent his foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, to Doha on Thursday. This move is a signal that Turkey wants this role.

Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the US and the EU, has had an office in Turkey since 2011, when Turkey helped broker a deal to release an Israeli soldier.

Hamas is a rival of Fatah, which leads the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

As fears of a wider war in the region grow, Erdogan has stated that the reported attacks between Iran and Israel should not allow Israel to "gain territory, so it is important to act so that the focus remains on Gaza." ".

Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has condemned the meeting between the Turkish president and the head of Hamas.

Otherwise, from the attack of Hamas in Israel on October 7, nearly 1,200 people were killed and nearly 250 others were kidnapped. As a result of the Israeli ground and air offensive, more than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza, said health officials in the territory led by Hamas./ REL

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