Hamas leader hails Turkish support for Palestine cause
A senior leader of Palestinian resistance group Hamas has praised Turkey’s support for the Palestinian cause.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of a visit to the northern Turkish city of Sakarya, Sami Abu Zuhri described Turkey as a "pivotal" country of the Middle East.
"Turkey is sincere in its support for the Palestinian cause; we attach great importance to its position," he said.
He said Turkish support served to "bolster Palestinian steadfastness and serve the Palestinian cause".
Abu Zuhri said Hamas, which has governed the blockaded Gaza Strip since 2007, attached great importance to its relations with Turkey.
"Our relations with Turkey help the Palestinians. The future will see further Turkish support," he said.
Asked about the recent normalization of Turkish-Israeli relations, Abu Zuhri said Hamas saw no need to normalize ties with Israel.
"But we don’t interfere in the policies of other countries," he said.
Turkey and Israel renewed formal relations last June following a six-year split over an attack on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid flotilla in 2010, when Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists in international waters.
Source: aa.com.tr