Erdogan’s Proposed Gaza Visit Reignites Controversy
Despite opposition from Israel, the United States and the Palestinian Authority, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Gaza is set to take place by July 5.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s controversial visit to Gaza is on the agenda again, and may even take place within the next week, according to a senior Hamas official, despite opposition from Israel, the United States and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Meanwhile, the United States' brokered effort to normalize ties between Turkey and Israel is in the doldrums again, with Israeli officials complaining of being “humiliated” by Ankara.
Some Western diplomats are pointing to the fact that local, presidential and general elections in Turkey are not far down the road, and linking Erdogan’s position on Hamas and Israel to the recent nationwide anti-government demonstrations in Turkey. They argue that his populist tendencies are becoming prominent again in view of these demonstrations.
“Erdogan clearly feels he has to act according to the sentiments of his Islamist supporters who revere Hamas and abhor Israel as a matter of course,” according to one such diplomat talking to Al-Monitor. “This makes a visit to Gaza necessary and improved ties with Israel a liability.”
