Reports that senior Hamas officials expelled from Qatar have found refuge in Turkey ought to send a shiver down the spine of anyone concerned with the principles of justice and peace. This troubling development not only underscores Turkey’s willingness to act as a haven for terrorism-linked figures but also casts a long shadow over its standing as a member of NATO and an ostensible ally of the West.
Last week, Qatar, often criticised for its own murky ties to Hamas, expelled several of the group’s senior officials in what many saw as a long-overdue gesture of accountability. These individuals were directly associated with the organisation that orchestrated the October 7 atrocities—a day now seared into the memory of Israelis and the wider world. Yet, no sooner were they shown the door in Doha than they found an open one in Ankara.
This is no minor diplomatic embarrassment. Hamas is not simply another Middle Eastern faction jockeying for influence. It is a designated terrorist organisation in the United States, the European Union, and beyond, whose stated aim includes the destruction of the state of Israel. Its leaders have gloried in the horrors of October 7, boasting of the murder, rape, and abduction of innocents as though such barbarity were a badge of honour. For Turkey to host these figures now, after their actions have shocked even Hamas’s usual apologists, is a calculated affront to international norms.
Turkey’s relationship with Hamas has been a source of quiet alarm for years. Ankara has provided financial support, logistical assistance, and safe havens for operatives linked to the group. But this latest move—offering sanctuary to officials expelled in disgrace—crosses a line. It is not merely a show of solidarity with Hamas’s cause; it is a blatant signal that Turkey’s government sees no issue in aligning itself with those who unapologetically target civilians.
This creates profound implications for Turkey’s role in NATO. The alliance, built on a foundation of shared values, now faces the awkward reality of a member openly hosting terrorist leaders. While Turkey continues to demand the privileges of NATO membership, its actions increasingly undermine the alliance’s moral credibility and strategic coherence.
Moreover, this decision threatens to destabilise not only the region but also Turkey itself. Many within Turkish society are deeply uneasy with their government’s growing authoritarianism and foreign policy entanglements. Providing cover for Hamas is not only an affront to Turkey’s citizens but also a risk to its internal cohesion.
The international community must respond with more than murmurs of disapproval. NATO cannot continue to look the other way while one of its members actively undermines its principles. Diplomatic pressure, economic consequences, and perhaps even a reevaluation of Turkey’s role in the alliance must all be on the table. The West has been far too accommodating of Ankara’s duplicity for far too long.
At its core, this is not just a question of strategy or alliances—it is a matter of morality. To host the leaders of an organisation that revels in the murder of women, children, and the elderly is to make a mockery of every value that the civilised world claims to uphold. If we fail to hold Turkey accountable for such actions, we allow the principles of justice, decency, and the sanctity of human life to be trampled underfoot.
Turkey’s embrace of Hamas is a test—not just of NATO, but of the West itself. Will we tolerate the legitimisation of those who glorify terror, or will we draw a line and demand accountability? For the sake of the victims of October 7 and all who believe in the rule of law, the answer must be unequivocal.
