Turkey Emerges as Main Hub for Hamas Leadership and Terror Operations
Since 2003, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule, Turkey has strengthened its ties with Hamas, hosting senior leaders and providing political, economic, and humanitarian support. Hamas has transformed Turkey into a central base for directing attacks against Israeli targets and fundraising for terror activities. In July 2026, reports indicated that Hamas shifted much of its organizational operations from Qatar to Turkey following an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha in September 2025 and increased tensions between Qatar and Hamas due to the Iran conflict.
Hamas's Turkish branch, led by the "West Bank Headquarters," continues to build infrastructure for attacks, transfer funds for terrorism, and operate training camps within Turkey. Turkey played a key role in brokering the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire alongside the US, Egypt, and Qatar, increasing coordination with Hamas on ceasefire implementation, Israeli troop withdrawals, and disarmament issues. Turkish aid organizations, especially IHH, which led the 2010 Gaza flotilla, are heavily involved in Gaza's reconstruction, including education and healthcare projects, and have attempted additional flotillas to break the Israeli blockade.
The Amity Institute for Terrorism and Intelligence Research views Hamas's partial relocation to Turkey and ongoing coordination as evidence of the strategic importance Hamas places on relations with Ankara. The appointment of Khalil al-Hayya as Hamas's political bureau chief is expected to deepen ties due to his connections with Turkish leadership. Turkey's de facto immunity for Hamas members residing there enables continued planning of attacks against Israel and potentially Israeli targets in Europe, supported by Ankara's anti-Israel and antisemitic stances, especially given Erdogan's close ties with former US President Trump.
Turkish involvement in Gaza's reconstruction also secures Ankara's influence even if the Palestinian Authority assumes control, ensuring Hamas's continued sway over Gaza's civilian affairs. Musa Akhari, Hamas's representative in Turkey since 2023, revealed in a Turkish TV interview that after his release from Israeli prison in the Gilad Shalit deal, Erdogan personally welcomed him and nine other freed Hamas prisoners, promising protection akin to that for Turkish children. Akhari praised Erdogan's support for Hamas and credited him with weakening international backing for Israeli narratives, including regarding the October 7, 2023 attack. Meanwhile, Hamas's Turkish branch continues to direct attacks and fund terrorism in the West Bank and Israel without public Turkish government response.
