Turkish NATO member says Hamas terrorists are "defending their lands"

The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, defended the Hamas terrorists and claimed that, in his opinion, they are a group of "mujahideen defending their lands." The Turkish president said this in a speech to Parliament. The statement was picked up by media outlets such as The Times of Israel.

"Hamas is not a terrorist organization, it is a group of mujahideen defending their lands," Erdogan said to the applause of those present. According to local media, 'Mujahideen' is an Arabic term that refers to those involved in jihad or a holy war.

The Turkish president claimed that Western countries support Israel because, according to him, they owe it a lot. "Israel can view Hamas as a terrorist organization, along with the West. The West owes you a lot. But Turkey does not owe you anything," Erdogan said.

"Hamas is a resistance movement"

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi has a similar opinion. This Wednesday, he issued a statement claiming that Hamas is a "resistance movement" and not a terrorist organization. The comments were made during a meeting with the media in Oman. The EFE Agency was present.

Bin Hamad Albusaidi told the media, "Hamas is a resistance movement against the occupation." He did not allow journalists photos, cameras or recorders, according to EFE .

Both countries made their positions known at a time when Israel continues to face terrorist attacks. Early this Wednesday alarms continued to go off in towns near the Gaza Strip. The air raid sirens warned the inhabitants of Kissufim, a kibbutz located a few miles from the border with Gaza, and those of Ashkelon, a city that has been the target of numerous bombings by the Hamas terrorist group.

Hamas is recognized as a terrorist group by most Western countries including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Paraguay, the United Kingdom and the United States.