International Positions on the Nature of Hamas

Turkey on Feb. 2 denounced the United States decision to put the head of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on its terror blacklist, saying it hoped the move would not have a negative impact on Ankara’s humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The EU's highest court has maintained a ruling that Palestinian Islamist group Hamas is a terrorist organisation, in a blow to campaigners who have called for the militant organisation to be removed from Europe's blacklist, reported the Financial Times.

The Israeli Security Forces have arrested the Palestinian head of the Turkish government Humanitarian Aid organization in Gaza on suspicion of helping the funding of Hamas.

The European Union will appeal a December court decision ordering the removal of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from the EU terrorism blacklist, foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Jan. 19.
      

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."

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."

The U.S. Department of State has conveyed its concerns about the relationship between Hamas and Turkey to Turkish officials, a day after Ankara said the leader of Hamas is "welcome in Turkey."

 The EU said Wednesday it still considers Hamas to be a "terrorist" group even though a European court ruled that it should be removed from the bloc's terrorism blacklist.
      

The Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas must be removed from the EU's terrorism blacklist, but its assets will stay frozen, a European court ruled on Dec. 17.
      
The original listing in 2001 was based not on sound legal judgements but on conclusions derived from the media and the Internet, the General Court of the European Union said in a statement.