Turkey 'allowing Hamas to plan attacks on Israel from Istanbul'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again accused of turning blind eye to foreign terrorist operatives in his country

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and Hamas's political bureau chief Ismail Haniya during a meeting in Istanbul last week. AFP

Turkey has allowed Hamas to plan attacks on Israel from Istanbul, it has been reported, in the latest accusation that the country is turning a blind eye to terrorist operatives.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has let Hamas figures direct operations against Israel, including an assassination attempt on the Mayor of Jerusalem this year, and the occupied West Bank from within Turkey, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported.

The information was reportedly revealed in transcripts of Israeli police interviews with suspects.

Mr Erdogan met Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last weekend and pledged to "keep on supporting our brothers in Palestine", despite Israel repeatedly warning Turkey that it was being used as a base to plan attacks.

Turkey already has already faced questions about its incursion into north-east Syria, support for extremist rebels there and, as The National exclusively reported, on how the brother of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi was able to move freely from the group's hideout in Syria to Istanbul.

Al Baghdadi died in a US operation last month, but Iraqi intelligence said that his brother Juma made regular trips to Istanbul from northern Syria this year on his behalf.

Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the EU and US.

But the newspaper report said that the group's deputy leader also travels freely to the country, despite a $5 million (Dh18.3m) bounty issued for him by the US, and a dozen operatives have moved between Istanbul and Gaza over the last year.

Turkey and Hamas denied the accusations.

Turkish influence has been growing in the Palestinian enclave since Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party came to power in 2002.

Hamas is intensifying contact with the country in preparation for proposed Palestinian elections.