The Turkish government has taken a great deal of criticism for holding talks with Hamas by its media, the Israeli government , and ironically, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) . Since Hamas?s stunning victory in recent parliamentary elections for the Palestinian administration, states have been faced with the dilemma of how to deal with a group that has not renounced violence and does not recognize the state of Israel. Yet, this group has a legitimate political voice. The Turkish government claims that it held these talks in the spirit of international cooperation by trying to convince Hamas of a more peaceful attitude. Officials claim that they have urged Hamas to renounce violence and adopt a less aggressive attitude toward Israel and that the group?s exiled political leader, Khaled Meshaal , said it was taking the advice seriously.
While the diplomatic issues of dealing with Hamas would be a difficult and sensitive issue for a number of countries, it does seem particularly risky for a country like Turkey to outrage a close ally?namely, Israel?by meeting with Hamas. Israel categorically refuses to deal with Hamas as long as the group is committed to destroying the Jewish state and to not renouncing the use of violence. This visit seems to have driven a wedge between the two countries. Although Turkey is predominantly Muslim, its government is non-sectarian, has a long history of being welcoming to the Jewish people, and enjoys close relations today, an anathema to the relationship Israel has with most Arab or other Muslim states. Israel?s government spokesman, Ranaan Gissin, has compared the move to Israel hosting a delegation of the PKK, a thorn in the side of the Turkish government that they refuse to negotiate with. He ominously warned that the visit could damage bilateral ties between the two states. The Turkish government, in turn, has criticized Israel?s remarks on the subject as groundless and unfortunate. Motivations aside, the Turks run the risk of damaging their relations with Israel. Israel appeared blindsided by this move, and Turkey does not seem to be doing a great deal diplomatically to reassure their ally.
The PKK has weighed in on the Hamas visit with cries of double standards. While this seems a rather childish attitude, the question does seem to be a legitimate one. Israel has also pointed out that the Turkish government would not appreciate them talking to the PKK. The PKK is trying to use the meeting as propaganda;, their concern is why the Turkish government would be willing to broker peace between another country and its terrorists, when they appear unwilling to address the grievances of a domestic group. In order to take a stance against violence, governments often refuse to negotiate with certain groups until they renounce violence. This is a consistent approach to dealing with terrorist or separatists groups. It is also an exercise in patience by the government, as groups tend to lessen their demands over time, and sometimes the group and/or their demands may become irrelevant. While the latter is true for the PKK, the former is certainly not.
Turkey?s meeting with Hamas is probably a diplomatic mistake, but how deep the repercussions are will depend on their subsequent actions.
