The initiative has drawn support from prominent organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, whose managing director of policy Julie Fishman Rayman condemned Turkey’s harboring of terrorists as ‘outrageous.’
Turkey has come under intense congressional pressure following reports that the country is providing safe haven to senior Hamas terrorists.
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Intelligence Director Avril Haines, 39 bipartisan House members are demanding immediate classified briefings about the scope and security implications of Turkey’s deepening relationship with the terrorist organization.
“We are alarmed by recent reports that senior members of Hamas’s leadership have relocated to Turkey with the intent of establishing a headquarters there,” the letter states.
“We have serious concerns about the security implications of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member hosting, and potentially aiding, Hamas, a U.S. and E.U.-designated foreign terrorist organization.”
The initiative has drawn support from prominent organizations including the American Jewish Committee, whose managing director of policy Julie Fishman Rayman condemned Turkey’s harboring of terrorists as “outrageous.”
A Turkish diplomatic source speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity rejected reports claiming that Hamas had relocated its political headquarters from Qatar to Turkey, claiming that Hamas members only make periodic visits to the country.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that he will stand by Arabs with all his “strength and means” until “Palestine is fully liberated.”
“What Turkey is doing for Palestine, Gaza, and Lebanon is far greater than what is visible,” Erdogan said. “For 14 months, a highly bloody and extremely dangerous war has been ongoing right next to Turkey, despite some individuals’ insistence on ignoring it.”
Erdogan also said that he has been actively pushing the United Nations to implement “coercive measures to stop Israeli aggression,” which he claimed “has now spilled over into Syria and other countries.”
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