Turkish FM Hakan Fidan Holds Talks with Pakistan and Hamas on Palestine
Fidan congratulated new Hamas political bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya in Ankara and discussed a Jordanian summit proposal with Pakistan's Ishaq Dar, as Israeli commentary views Turkey's outreach as a rising threat.
On 29 July, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Ankara with Khalil al-Hayya, the newly elected head of Hamas’s political bureau, and a Hamas delegation, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Fidan congratulated al-Hayya, who assumed the role on 20 July. The talks covered what a Hamas statement described as daily Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire, settler violence in the occupied West Bank and storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as ongoing cease-fire negotiations in Cairo.
Al-Hayya said Hamas was taking steps toward peace negotiations, including a plan to hand over its governing authority in Gaza to a US-backed “Board of Peace,” and was pursuing reconciliation with other Palestinian factions, an apparent reference to Fatah, Anadolu reported. Fidan reaffirmed Turkey’s “strong support” for the Palestinian “just cause,” pledged to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, and expressed appreciation for Hamas’s role in the peace process, according to the agency and the pro-government daily Yeni Şafak.
In a separate phone call, Fidan and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed what they termed the “dangerous situation” in Palestine, Pakistan’s official Radio Pakistan reported. The two diplomats voiced deep concern over Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank, attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the worsening humanitarian conditions, and declared their “permanent support” for the Palestinian people’s lawful rights. They also examined a Jordanian proposal to convene an Arab and Islamic summit to coordinate diplomatic support for the Palestinians.
The meeting with Hamas drew a critical response in Israel. An analysis in the Jerusalem Post stated that “from Jerusalem’s point of view, Turkey is increasingly not just pushing hostile narratives; it is potentially a strategic or regional threat,” and predicted the meeting would “be seen in Jerusalem in a negative light.” The report linked Turkish outreach to broader Israeli anxieties over Ankara’s regional posture and its hosting of Hamas officials.
Turkey’s flurry of diplomatic moves underscores its deepening role in Palestinian affairs, balancing direct engagement with Hamas alongside consultations with Muslim-majority partners such as Pakistan. Neither the Jordanian summit nor the Gaza peace talks have been scheduled, but Turkish officials indicated they would remain active on both the humanitarian and political tracks.
| Israeli press | −0.80 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Iranian & allied press | +0.70 | aligned |
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | +0.60 | aligned |
Ankara aligns with Hamas and poses a growing threat to Jerusalem.
The Israeli press builds plausibility by hierarchizing threats: from recent history to Turkish rhetoric, to the meeting with Hamas, to demonstrate a systemic danger.
Omits that the meeting is part of Turkey's broader mediation and support for Palestinians, a common position in the Muslim world.
Tehran celebrates Palestinian resistance and Turkish-Pakistani solidarity in countering Israeli aggression.
The Iranian narrative universalizes the Palestinian cause as the struggle of the entire Islamic world, using condemnation of Israeli violations to legitimize support for Hamas.
Omits divisions among Palestinian factions and the context of Hamas being designated a terrorist group.
The Arab world backs Palestinian leadership and sees the visit as a step toward unity and defense of Jerusalem.
The Arab press personifies the Palestinian state in the figure of Hamas and presents the meeting as a legitimate diplomatic act, normalizing contacts with a resistance movement.
Omits discussing the Israeli perspective or implications for peace processes, focusing solely on solidarity.
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