Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called on the Turkish government
to shut down Hamas offices within Turkey’s borders after Israel broke


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Turkey Under Pressure To Shut Down Hamas Operations Within Its Borders

 

(New York, N.Y.) — Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called
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 on the Turkish government to shut down Hamas offices within Turkey’s borders
after Israel broke up a Hamas cell of more than 50 operatives who Israel's Shin
Bet security agency said were directed from Turkey. Israeli intel also
concluded the group was under the direction of Hamas senior leadersSaleh
al-Arouri <[link removed]> and
Zacharia Najib. Lapid’s demand came just days after a Hamas shooting in the Old
City of Jerusalem, killing one individual and wounding four others. Hamas
praised gunman Fadi Abu Shkhaydam as a “heroic martyr.” Shkhaydam allegedly
engaged with Hamas agents in Turkey while traveling to the country over the
past several months.

 

Hamas, one of the 28 original groups designated by the U.S. as Foreign
Terrorist Organizations <[link removed]>
, maintains its primary base of operations in the Gaza Strip but also maintains
a presence in the West Bank, Qatar, and Turkey. The terror group’s Istanbul
bureau was created in 2012 following an announcement the year prior that Turkey
would transfer hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas. Turkey has
subsequently invested billions of dollars in Gaza, freeing Hamas leaders to
spend a greater proportion of their resources smuggling goods and weapons to
attack Israelis through its sophisticated network of underground tunnels.

 

Hamas operatives working in Turkey actively recruit Palestinians living there
as well as in Jordan, Syria, and other Arab countries. The recruits are sent to
the bureau in Istanbul, where they reportedly receive security clearances and
begin training outside of the city with the knowledge of Turkish officials. In
addition, the Istanbul bureau has reportedly supplied many of the weapons used
by Hamas operatives in the West Bank.

 

Through its HARBORS Campaign
<[link removed]>, the Counter
Extremism Project (CEP) highlights Turkey’s support for and cooperation with
extremist groups including Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Haqqani Network, and
the Taliban, including by providing refuge within its borders to senior leaders
of the aforementioned groups.

 

To learn more about CEP’s HARBORS Campaign, please click here
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To read CEP’s resource Turkey, please click here
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To read CEP’s resource Hamas, please click here
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