Hamas' Haniyeh to meet with Erdogan on Thursday
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Turkey is attempting to play a role in direct ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and "Israel" amid Qatar's possible withdrawal.
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In this Feb. 1, 2020 file photo, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with Hamas movement chief Ismail Haniyeh, prior to their meeting in Istanbul. (AP)
The head of Hamas' Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh is set to meet with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on Thursday, as tensions escalate in the region in anticipation of a new Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Erdogan told reporters that Thursday's agenda will remain private. This comes as Turkey sent its foreign minister to Doha, Qatar, in an attempt to establish itself as a mediator in indirect negotiations between Hamas and "Israel", according to AFP.
In this context, Erdogan stated, "Even if only I, Tayyip Erdogan, remain, I will continue as long as God gives me my life, to defend the Palestinian struggle and to be the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people," as he announced Haniyeh's visit to Turkey.
This also coincides with the possibility of Qatar's withdrawal from ceasefire negotiations, which could place Turkey at the forefront due to its connections with the Hamas leadership.
As a result, Cairo will host a Turkish envoy following the meeting, according to Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry.
Turkey's pro-Palestine remarks jeopardize its role in negotiations
However, Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey specialist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington, noted that since Turkey has been consistently outspoken against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, it should expect a "minimal" role in negotiations.
He further noted that "Israel" would not welcome the Turkish President, restricting his role to a mere messenger between occupation and Palestinian negotiators.
Moreover, Ciddi reckoned that Turkey would not be able to influence the prisoner exchange deal as a result of its restricted role.
It is worth noting that Erdogan asserted in December that there is "no distinction" between the ongoing actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the attacks on Gaza and the deeds of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Turkey restricts exports to 'Israel' over Gaza
Last week, the Turkish Trade Ministry announced the restriction of exports of certain products to "Israel".
In a statement, the ministry said "Israel continues to flagrantly violate international law and ignores the international community's numerous calls for a cease-fire and uninterrupted humanitarian aid."
It underscored that the restriction will continue until "Israel" implements a cease-fire and allows “sufficient and uninterrupted flow" of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
In turn, the Israeli occupation's Foreign Minister accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of prioritizing support for "Hamas over Turkey's economic interests," stressing that the occupation would implement its own trade restrictions on Turkish products in response to Turkey's export limitations. Moreover, he pointed his finger at Turkey, accusing Ankara of unilaterally violating trade agreements with Tel Aviv.
