Turkey says it helped Hamas become 'mainstream'

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu has strongly defended Turkey's relationship with Hamas, suggesting that this relationship has actually helped make the militant Palestinian group "mainstream."

"Turkey wants to make contributions for peace in the Middle East and is establishing dialogue with everybody who wants to contribute. It is trying to convince everybody," Çavu?o?lu said on Jan. 12, in response to Washington's apparent criticism of the relationship between Ankara and Hamas.

"Everybody can see how much of a difference there is between Hamas' previous line and its current stance. The country that has made the biggest contribution to this is Turkey. We have even convinced Hamas to recognize the independent Israeli state in the case of a resolution," he added, speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Our dialogue with Hamas is important for peace and dialogue. We don't understand those who say 'We are against the Hamas leader's [Khaled Mashaal] visit to Turkey.' No matter who they are and no matter where they come from, people who come to Turkey enter and exit in line with international law and the laws of Turkey. Turkey is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. Therefore, whoever enters and whoever stays, and for how long, is designated by laws," Çavu?o?lu said.

"It is not a decision to be made by politicians of third countries," he added.

Last week, there were media reports that the exiled Hamas leader had been expelled from Qatar, where he has been residing, and that he would go to Turkey, but the organization has denied these claims.

When asked about the reports on Jan. 7, Çavu?o?lu said Hamas had already denied those reports, but noted that "regardless of which country they belong to, people are...