Part 8/11:
Turkey’s role is particularly noteworthy. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has historically embraced Hamas, refusing to designate the group as a terrorist organization—despite international consensus otherwise. Following the assassination of Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinar in October, Erdoğan declared a national day of mourning and staged symbolic gestures like lowering the Turkish flag to half-mast at the Tel Aviv embassy. Ankara’s hosting of Hamas officials could signal a shift in regional diplomacy, especially as Egypt and other Arab nations pull back from direct engagement due to frustrations with Hamas’s tactics and the persistent stalemate.