Israel summons Turkey's ambassador over mourning of Hamas leader at Tel Aviv embassy
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has summoned the Turkish ambassador following Turkey's decision to observe a national day of mourning for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday.
As part of the national mourning, flags are flown at half-mast at government buildings and Turkish embassies worldwide, including in Tel Aviv, which drew ire from the Israeli government.
In a statement on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said his country “will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh.”
“If the embassy representatives wish to mourn, they should go to Turkey and mourn alongside their master, Erdoğan, who embraces the terrorist organization Hamas and supports its acts of murder and terror,” he wrote.
Symbolic funeral prayers for Haniyeh
Turkey's response came from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli, who wrote on social media, "You cannot reach peace by killing negotiators and threatening diplomats."
Senior government officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have condemned Israel over the killing of Haniyeh, whom they have labeled a ‘martyr.’ Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the assassination.
In addition to the official mourning, symbolic funeral prayers for Haniyeh was held following Friday prayers across Turkey today. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, along with other high-level officials, attended Haniyeh's funeral in Doha, Qatar.
The Gaza war, which began on October 7, has affected Turkey-Israel relations, which were on course to normalize at the time. The countries had appointed ambassadors in April 2022 after a four-year hiatus and there was talk of a potential meeting between Erdoğan and Israeli PM Netanyahu.
However, Turkey's vocal opposition to Israeli actions in Gaza and its recent export ban to Israel, which has been criticized for being ineffective, have put renewed strain on their bilateral relations. (VK)