A bipartisan group of nearly 40 members of Congress is requesting Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide “immediate classified briefings” on “Turkey’s growing relationship with Hamas.”
The letter, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) and co-signed by 34 other representatives in the House, is meant to raise “serious concerns” about whether Turkey, a NATO member, is aiding the terrorist group Hamas.
“We are alarmed by recent reports that senior members of Hamas’s leadership have relocated to Turkey with the intent of establishing a headquarters there,” lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers said they have “serious concerns about the security implications of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member hosting, and potentially aiding, Hamas, a U.S. and EU designated foreign terrorist organization.”
“With these concerns in mind, we request an immediate classified briefing for Members of Congress on the threats to U.S. national security posed by Turkey’s growing relationship with Hamas,” they continued.
They posed several questions on which they want to be briefed on, including if any Hamas senior leaders relocated to Turkey, “the nature and extent of the Turkish government’s relationship with Hamas,” any potential action by the United States or NATO on this, and if the U.S. would seek the extradition of Hamas officials from Turkey.
Some Hamas leaders reportedly moved to Turkey after Qatar cut ties with the group. Qatar previously served as a neutral zone for negotiations between Hamas, the U.S., and Israeli officials, among other affected parties, to negotiate ceasefire talks in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Turkey, as a NATO member, is theoretically barred from knowingly hosting terrorists or terrorist organizations as the organization explicitly states that countering terrorism is a core part of its mission, and member nations are expected to participate in the organization’s counterterrorism efforts.
“Top Turkish officials have also consistently offered praise and support for Hamas — an Iranian backed terrorist organization — while using every opportunity to try to delegitimize the State of Israel,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
“Just last month, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas political leaders in Istanbul, two days after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed Hamas’s leader and architect of the October 7 massacre, Yayha Sinwar,” they continued.
The letter from lawmakers also says their request is also supported by the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the American Hellenic Institute, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, and FDD Action.
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Prior to the letter from House lawmakers, Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) released a statement saying it is “disappointing that Turkey has welcomed Hamas leaders with open arms following Qatar’s eviction of these terrorists.”
The three GOP senators said it was “unbecoming of a NATO member to harbor foreign designated terrorists with allied blood and hostages on its hands, particularly ones who have already been criminally indicted.”
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
