Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli has sharply criticized Turkey following a meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Hamas's newly elected political leader, Khalil al-Hayya. Chikli accused the Turkish government under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of becoming "the command center for Hamas’s rapists and murderers."
In a statement on social media, Chikli asserted that Hamas operatives reside comfortably in Turkish hotels while allegedly planning attacks in Europe. He concluded his remarks by stating, "Erdoğan and Fidan are Hamas."
The meeting, which took place in Ankara, marked one of al-Hayya's first high-level diplomatic engagements since his election as head of Hamas's Political Bureau on July 20. According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, Fidan congratulated al-Hayya on his new role and reiterated Ankara's support for the Palestinian cause, which he described as "just."
Anadolu also reported that Fidan affirmed Turkey's continued support for Gaza and acknowledged Hamas's role in peace efforts. Al-Hayya reportedly briefed Fidan on developments in Gaza and the West Bank, accused Israel of expanding settlements and attacking holy sites in Jerusalem, and stated Hamas's commitment to ceasefire negotiations and Palestinian factional reconciliation.
Turkish media indicated that Fidan reaffirmed Ankara's commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause through diplomatic, political, and humanitarian channels.
Al-Hayya, 65, relocated from Gaza prior to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and has been based in Qatar. He has led Hamas's negotiating team in ceasefire talks involving the United States. In January 2025, al-Hayya described the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas-led terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 others, as "a source of pride for our people… to be passed down from generation to generation."