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TURKEY SAYS IT HELPED HAMAS BECOME 'MAINSTREAM'
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 12 2015
ANKARA
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks at a press briefing
during the Seventh Annual Ambassadors' Conference on Jan. 9. AFP Photo
Foreign Minister Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu 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," CavuÅ~_oglu 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," CavuÅ~_oglu 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, CavuÅ~_oglu said Hamas had
already denied those reports, but noted that "regardless of which
country they belong to, people are free to come and go to Turkey as
they wish, as long as there are no legal impediments."
Washington's reaction came as early as Jan. 8 via the spokesperson
of the U.S. Department of State, who expressed concerns.
"Our position on Hamas has not changed. Hamas is a designated foreign
terrorist organization that continues to engage in terrorist activity
and demonstrated its intentions during the summer's conflict in -
with Israel," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said during
daily press briefing on Jan. 8.
Psaki's remarks came in response to a question about CavuÅ~_oglu's
statements that Mashaal is "welcome in Turkey."
"We continue to raise our concerns about the relationship between Hamas
and Turkey with senior Turkish officials, including after learning
of Mashaal's recent visit there. And we have urged the government
of Turkey to press Hamas to reduce tensions and prevent violence,"
she stated.
'Parallel structure' hand in hand with Armenian lobby against Turkey:
FM CavuÅ~_oglu
ANKARA
Followers of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen are working
against Turkey "hand in hand with the Armenian lobby," Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu has claimed.
Wherever it is organized, the parallel structure is "striving to
defame Turkey," CavuÅ~_oglu said, adding that it has found a new
opportunity in the run up to the centennial anniversary of the mass
killings of Anatolian Armenians during the Ottoman era.
"These persons say 'We are Turks,' but they are doing every kind of
thing to weaken this country," CavuÅ~_oglu said on Jan. 12, speaking
in an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The government labels the Gulen movement, whose sympathizers are
believed to be active in a number of state branches, a "criminal
organization" aimed at toppling the elected ruling party. In line with
this aim, CavuÅ~_oglu said Gulenists are exerting intense efforts for
the release of decisions against Turkey by U.S. legislative bodies,
pointing to the amount of money it spends around the world.
"The 2015 incidents, other cases ... Whatever thing there is against
Turkey, they are in cooperation with it," CavuÅ~_oglu said, referring
to the 100th anniversary of the mass killing of Armenians in World
War I.
Armenia and its diaspora want Turkey to recognize the mass killings
of Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 as
genocide, something that Turkey has so far vehemently resisted.
January/12/2015
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-says-it-helped-hamas-become-mainstream.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76834&NewsCatID=359
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 12 2015
ANKARA
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks at a press briefing
during the Seventh Annual Ambassadors' Conference on Jan. 9. AFP Photo
Foreign Minister Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu 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," CavuÅ~_oglu 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," CavuÅ~_oglu 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, CavuÅ~_oglu said Hamas had
already denied those reports, but noted that "regardless of which
country they belong to, people are free to come and go to Turkey as
they wish, as long as there are no legal impediments."
Washington's reaction came as early as Jan. 8 via the spokesperson
of the U.S. Department of State, who expressed concerns.
"Our position on Hamas has not changed. Hamas is a designated foreign
terrorist organization that continues to engage in terrorist activity
and demonstrated its intentions during the summer's conflict in -
with Israel," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said during
daily press briefing on Jan. 8.
Psaki's remarks came in response to a question about CavuÅ~_oglu's
statements that Mashaal is "welcome in Turkey."
"We continue to raise our concerns about the relationship between Hamas
and Turkey with senior Turkish officials, including after learning
of Mashaal's recent visit there. And we have urged the government
of Turkey to press Hamas to reduce tensions and prevent violence,"
she stated.
'Parallel structure' hand in hand with Armenian lobby against Turkey:
FM CavuÅ~_oglu
ANKARA
Followers of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen are working
against Turkey "hand in hand with the Armenian lobby," Turkish Foreign
Minister Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu has claimed.
Wherever it is organized, the parallel structure is "striving to
defame Turkey," CavuÅ~_oglu said, adding that it has found a new
opportunity in the run up to the centennial anniversary of the mass
killings of Anatolian Armenians during the Ottoman era.
"These persons say 'We are Turks,' but they are doing every kind of
thing to weaken this country," CavuÅ~_oglu said on Jan. 12, speaking
in an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The government labels the Gulen movement, whose sympathizers are
believed to be active in a number of state branches, a "criminal
organization" aimed at toppling the elected ruling party. In line with
this aim, CavuÅ~_oglu said Gulenists are exerting intense efforts for
the release of decisions against Turkey by U.S. legislative bodies,
pointing to the amount of money it spends around the world.
"The 2015 incidents, other cases ... Whatever thing there is against
Turkey, they are in cooperation with it," CavuÅ~_oglu said, referring
to the 100th anniversary of the mass killing of Armenians in World
War I.
Armenia and its diaspora want Turkey to recognize the mass killings
of Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire from 1915 as
genocide, something that Turkey has so far vehemently resisted.
January/12/2015
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-says-it-helped-hamas-become-mainstream.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76834&NewsCatID=359
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress