Thousands of people rallied at Istanbul's iconic Galata Bridge on New Year's Day 2025 in support of the Palestinian cause and to protest Israel. Bilal Erdogan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son, was among its speakers. Bilal spoke of the "martyrs" of Palestine, including Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2023, slaughter of 1,200 Israelis. This is, by now, barely newsworthy given Ankara's long track record of pro-Hamas rhetoric. But the son of Turkey's strongman leader caught the attention of international observers when he stated, "we are here for ... Al-Aqsa Mosque, for Jerusalem."Daily Sabah (Turkey), January 1, 2025. (https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/massive-pro-palestine-rally-brings-together-thousands-in-istanbul/news)">1
A quarter century ago, such a rally would be unimaginable. Turkey viewed itself as a pillar of stability. It was largely democratic and sought to tie its future to Europe and the United States. Turkey and Israel cooperated to defeat terror groups. Much has since changed.
Turkey's antipathy toward Israel and its affinity for Hamas is now so well established that diplomats accept it as fact. The open romance between the NATO member and the terror group began in 2006 when Erdogan stunned the West by inviting top Hamas leaders to visit Ankara just weeks after he privately assured world leaders that he would not do so until Hamas, fresh from its win in the Palestinian Authority elections, accepted the terms of the Oslo Accords. Three years later, Erdogan clashed with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos. After berating the Nobel laureate as a murderer due to Israel's counter-terror operations, Erdogan returned to Turkey in the predawn hours to a "spontaneous" outburst of support. There was little spontaneous about it. The day before Erdogan's Davos eruption, the Istanbul subway announced it would remain open through the night the following day. Thousands of Palestinian flags suddenly materialized well after shops closed. When Erdogan's plane landed, thousands of Turks waving Palestinian flags greeted him, chanting, "Turkey is proud of you."Associated Press, January 30, 2009. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/30/turkish-prime-minister-gaza-davos) ">2
The following year, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) sponsored a flotilla to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel imposed the blockade to prevent Hamas from importing weaponry after the terror group seized the entire Mediterranean coastal enclave by force.The New York Times, July 15, 2010. (https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/middleeast/16turkey.html); Conal Urquart, Ian Black and Mark Tran, "Hamas takes control of Gaza," The Guardian (UK), June 15, 2007. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/15/israel4)">3 To organize the flotilla, the Turkish government partnered with Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (Insani Yardim Vakfi, IHH), a group banned in Israel and viewed by U.S. intelligence with suspicion due to its ties to Hamas, al-Qaeda, and other extremists.The Weekly Standard, May 31, 2010. (https://schanzer.pundicity.com/7539/the-terror-finance-flotilla)">4 While Israel successfully intercepted several ships from the flotilla, when commandos attempted to board the Mavi Marmara, Turks attacked the Israelis. In the ensuing clashes, ten Turks, one a dual American citizen, died.ABC News, June 3, 2010. (https://abcnews.go.com/WN/Media/american-killed-gaza-aid-flotilla/story?id=10814848)">5
By 2011, Palestinian sources reported that Erdogan promised $300 million to Hamas.IMEMC News (Palestinian Authority), December 3, 2011. (https://imemc.org/article/62607)">6 While never confirmed, this dollar amount would cover nearly half of Hamas's budget at the time, making Turkey perhaps Hamas's primary benefactor. As Syria — for decades a safe haven for Hamas — descended into civil war, top Hamas leaders not only migrated to Qatar, but some also began to operate from Turkey.The Jerusalem Post (Israel), September 8, 2011. (https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Shin-Bet-Hamas-operating-in-Turkey-China)">7 Erdogan welcomed them. "I don't see Hamas as a terror organization," he stated. "Hamas is a political party."Haaretz (Israel), May 12, 2011. (https://www.haaretz.com/2011-05-12/ty-article/turkeys-erdogan-hamas-is-a-political-party-not-a-terrorist-group/0000017f-e968-dc91-a17f-fded5adc0000)">8
The Obama administration did not just ignore Turkey's support for Hamas; it embraced Turkey's ties to the terrorist group. The U.S. president spoke to the Turkish strongman more than nearly every other world leader as Muslim Brotherhood factions rose up and challenged the Middle East's traditional regimes.The Los Angeles Times, October 10, 2011. (https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-oct-10-la-fg-us-turkey-20111011-story.html)">9 Obama sought to steer the "Arab Spring" to a soft landing, and he believed that Turkey, as an "Islamic democracy," could assist. It was a failed experiment, but it would take years for Obama to acknowledge this failure.
But the United States was not entirely to blame for the normalization of Turkey's Islamist and pro-Hamas leanings. In the U.S.-backed hostage diplomacy deal that saw the release of more than 1,000 Hamas operatives in exchange for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel released dozens of Hamas operatives to Turkey who then openly began to operate a headquarters.
By 2012, it was clear that Hamas was merely a symptom of the Erdogan government's terrorism support. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) threatened to add Turkey to its blacklist that, at the time, only included Iran and North Korea. Hürriyet Daily News (Turkey), January 27, 2013. (https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/panel-approves-bill-for-prevention-of-terrorism-financing-39865)">10 A multinational FATF team first notified Ankara about its deficiencies in 2007, finding that Turkey had neither adequately criminalized terrorism finance in the country nor had it done enough to establish infrastructure to identify and freeze terrorist assets.The Financial Action Task Force, accessed March 21, 2025. (https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/topics/mutual-evaluations.html)">11 This came amidst reports that Turkey was helping Iran illegally evade sanctions in a "gas-for-gold scheme." A whopping $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds held in escrow in Turkey was illegally sent onward to Iran, either directly or by way of the United Arab Emirates. Turkey did this at the height of the U.S.-led sanctions regime designed to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.Foundation for Defense of Democracies, March 13, 2014. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2014/03/13/the-anatomy-of-turkeys-gas-for-gold-scheme-with-iran) ">12
In 2013, Obama brokered a phone call between Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to repair ties between Ankara and Jerusalem. Israel ultimately apologized for the Mavi Marmara incident, but Erdogan continued to meet openly with and support senior Hamas officials.The Jerusalem Post, March 22, 2013. (https://www.jpost.com/international/obama-netanyahu-erdogan-speak-by-phone-307423); Jonathan Schanzer, "Hamas Leader Meets Turkey's Prime Minster in Ankara," Foundation for Defense of Democracies, October 8, 2013. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2013/10/08/hamas-leader-meets-turkeys-prime-minster-in-ankara) ">13
Erdogan's bad faith ultimately contributed to more war. In 2014, Turkey-based Hamas operative Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank prompted Israel's 50-day "Operation Protective Edge" counter-terror campaign. Arouri planned, financed, and ordered the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens.The Guardian (UK), August 21, 2014. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/21/hamas-kidnapping-three-israeli-teenagers-saleh-al-arouri-qassam-brigades)">14 Rather than punish Turkey, then Secretary of State John Kerry leaned on Ankara and Hamas-patron Qatar to broker a ceasefire.The New York Times, July 21, 2014. (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/us/politics/to-talk-with-hamas-us-needs-help-from-a-testy-trio-of-nations.html)">15 Erdogan repaid the favor by likening Israel's operation against Hamas to the "barbarism" of Hitler.Bloomberg, July 20, 2014. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-20/turkey-s-erdogan-compares-israel-gaza-offensive-to-hitler)">16
Israel was not the only victim of Turkey's Hamas support. In the waning days of Operation Protective Edge, Israel's Shin Bet security service thwarted a Hamas-led coup plot in the West Bank to topple Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Shin Bet arrested more than 90 Hamas operatives, confiscated weapons, and seized $170,000 in cash. Here, too, the Turkey-based Arouri was central to the plot.Foreign Policy, August 20, 2014. (https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/08/20/lying-down-with-dogs)">17 Arouri was not alone; at least nine other senior Hamas leaders called Turkey home.18
Turkey's terror embrace expanded beyond the Palestinian cause. By 2014, Turkey selectively loosened enforcement at its Syrian and Iraqi borders to enable Islamic State fighters to transit. Ankara also helped the violent jihadi group raise money and run businesses to fund its caliphate. Illicit oil sales and the trade of stolen antiquities were among the businesses that Turkey supported.Foundation for Defense of Democracies, November 19, 2014. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2014/11/19/bordering-on-terrorism)">19
Among Western diplomats, however, there was wishful thinking that these problems were temporary. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoglu played on this naivete, telling the media that Turkey was one or two meetings away from normalizing ties with Israel. Dangling the possibility of better ties led many in Washington and Jerusalem to put off more robust actions to counter Turkey's turn toward terror.
Meanwhile, Turkish entities were working with Hamas to expand terror even further. In 2017, the Shin Bet announced the arrest of Muhammad Murtaja, the Gaza coordinator of the state-funded Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency. He allegedly attempted to travel to Turkey to divert funds to Hamas. Israeli officials further said he passed intelligence to Hamas, including information about Israeli military sites.Foundation for Defense of Democracies, March 22, 2017. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2017/03/22/turkish-organizations-under-fire-for-alleged-hamas-support) ">20 The Shin Bet also announced, despite Hamas denials, that Hamas was working with the IHH to access advanced satellite mapping programs to improve the accuracy of Hamas rockets.Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH), March 21, 2017. (https://ihh.org.tr/en/news/israil-gazzeye-tum-yardimlari-kesmeye-calisiyor)">21
Erdogan's attitude toward Israel in many ways made Israel the canary in the coal mine. Erdogan has been willing to act in other ways to undermine the West. In 2019, for example, the Turkish government acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system, triggering a crisis within NATO.New York Post, October 23, 2019. (https://nypost.com/2019/10/23/trump-gave-erdogan-everything-he-wanted) ">22 The United States ultimately deprived Turkey of its ability to acquire F-35 fighter jets for this transgression. Ankara is trying to reverse this policy by way of a charm offensive in Washington.
The 2021 war between Israel and Hamas further ratcheted up tensions between Turkey and Israel. Erdogan called Israel a "terror state" and implored the United Nations to step in on behalf of Hamas.Reuters, May 14, 2021. (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-says-un-must-act-halt-gaza-conflict-2021-05-14) ">23 This was, of course, a prelude to the war that Hamas launched in 2023. In September 2023, just weeks before the October 7 assault, Israeli customs authorities seized 16 tons of explosive material sent from Turkey to Gaza, hidden behind construction supplies.i24 News (Israel), September 14, 2023. (https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/1694677181-revealed-explosive-materials-found-inside-containers-bound-for-gaza) ">24 Other similar shipments may have gotten through.
After Hamas slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and abducted another 254 individuals, Erdogan threw the Turkish government's support behind the Palestinian group. In December 2023, as the war in Gaza escalated, Israeli authorities again seized illicit goods from a Turkish ship at the port of Ashdod. Inspectors found weapons and components hidden inside an industrial weaving machine destined for the West Bank.Foundation for Defense of Democracies, December 22, 2023. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/22/israeli-authorities-foil-weapons-shipment-from-turkey-to-west-bank) ">25 Nearly one year into the war, Erdogan called for an Islamic coalition against Israel.Reuters, September 7, 2024. (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-erdogan-calls-islamic-alliance-against-israel-2024-09-07)">26 It was a call for a religious war — a jihad.
In March 2024, the Shin Bet thwarted a terrorist plot inside Israel planned by Hamas operatives in Turkey.The Times of Israel (Israel), June 3, 2024. (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/shin-bet-says-it-foiled-hamas-suicide-bombing-plot-directed-from-turkey)">27 The Israeli security service arrested Hamas operative Anas Shurman in Nablus and charged him in the bomb plot.Jewish News Syndicate, June 3, 2024. (https://www.jns.org/shin-bet-foils-hamas-suicide-bombing-plot-directed-from-turkey)">28 At his interrogation, Shurman admitted that Turkey-based Hamas operative Imad Abid recruited him in December 2023.The Jerusalem Post (Israel), June 3, 2024. (https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-804818) ">29
Months before he was killed in the heart of Tehran in July 2024, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was hosted by Erdogan in Istanbul, where the two allegedly discussed the possibility of relocating Hamas's political headquarters from Qatar to Turkey.Foundation for Defense of Democracies, April 22, 2024. (https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/04/22/hamas-chief-meets-turkish-president-considers-move-from-qatar-to-turkey)">30
For Erdogan, there is no turning back. He has invested more than 15 years to legitimize, fund, and support the Palestinian terrorist organization. He transformed Turkey into a global financial hub for Hamas.The New York Times, December 16, 2023. (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/europe/israel-hamas-money-finance-turkey-intelligence-attacks.html) ">31 While the U.S. Department of the Treasury has added new Turkish individuals and entities to its terrorism list due to their financial ties to Hamas, these designations are only a drop in the bucket.
With the Trump administration prepared to shatter norms, there are ample opportunities to target Hamas financial assets in Turkey, regardless of what Turkish diplomats might plead. However, a full paradigm shift is needed. Only by calibrating U.S. policy toward the reality of Turkey today, rather than the wishful thinking of what Turkey could be under better leadership, will Washington be able to push Turkey to quit its support for Hamas and bring Ankara back into the Western fold.