Turkish-Israeli rapprochement alarms Hamas: experts
Recent political rapprochement has raised concerns forthe Islamic movement, which has strategic relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Gaza-based political experts said on Tuesday.
Two weeks ago, Israeli President visited Turkey for the first time after years of tension and met with his Turkish counterpart Erdogan, amid an atmosphere of understanding on developing relations between the two countries.
Following their meeting, both presidents described that their countries are heading towards "a new turning point in relations based on common interests."
Turkey and Israel were once close allies, but the relationship frayed under Erdogan, who is an outspoken critic of Israel's treatment toward the Palestinians, which Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said amounts to theand crimes against humanity.
Turkey broke relations with Israel after a fatal attack by Israeli commandos on a peace flotilla led by Turkish boats in international waters in 2010, killing ten unarmed activists.
As a result, stronger relations developed between Hamas andTurkey, in which the Turkish capital Ankara frequently receives visits from Hamas leaders.
Turkey also allowed Hamas leaders to move freely on its territory after they left Syria in 2012.
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In separate remarks to , Gaza-based political experts said that Hamas is "reallyconcerned" about the fate of its relationship with Turkey and its support to the Palestinian cause.
They also notedthat Hamas cannot openly criticize Turkey for its actions.
The experts believe that the growing Turkish-Israeli relations may negatively impact the relationship between Hamas and Turkey, mainly as there are a number of prominent leaders and activists of the Islamic movement living in Turkey.
Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political expert and political professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told that Turkey will likely prefer to achieve its political and economic interests with Israel rather than maintain its relationship with Hamas.
"Hamas knows that Turkey is currently suffering from the deterioration of the Turkish lira and the decline of its economy.Its relations with Israel may help it overcome thecomplicated crisis it is facing,” he said.
"Therefore, there is no doubt that Hamas is concerned that Israel will put pressure on Turkey to expel its leaders from Ankara soon," he said, adding that if this happens, the movement "will look for a new place for its leaders, such Iran or Lebanon."
Abu Saada also notedthat Turkey couldgo as far asimposing majorrestrictions on Hamas activists residing in Turkey, particularlyPalestinian prisoners who were released during a prisoner exchange deal with the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.
For his part, Naji Shurrab, another political scientist in Gaza,told that he expect that Turkey may allowHamas activists to remainin its territory, but it would likely"prevent them from engaging in any tangible political, media or economic activities."
But similar to Abu Saada's analysis, Shurrab also thinks that Hamas "will not have any other choiceandwill accept any restrictions by Turkeyin a bid to gain some time inreconfiguringtheir political position within that country."
In fact, Turkish officials have recently discussed with the movement's military officials the possibility of their safe departure from Turkey, according to a source close to Hamas, who isbased in Ankara and requested anonymity in order to speak freely.
The source added the Turkish officialshave already"asked our activists to reduce their political and media activities in their territorieswhile allowingcultural activitiesat least for the time being."
However, the source further says thatTurkishofficials have told themthat "they will not abandon their position in support of the Palestinian cause and that they will do their best to ease the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip."
"We do not interfere in the internal relations of any country. We want to maintain a good relationship with all Arab and Islamic countries, especially Turkey,” the source said.