Turkey's defense of Hamas complicates relationship with the European Union

As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan defends Hamas in its war with Israel in Gaza, the country's relationship with the European Union becomes more complicated, facing additional challenges after years of crises and misunderstandings. 

Erdoğan sought a mediating role when the war erupted in Gaza following Hamas's unprecedented attack inside Israeli territory on October 7.  

However, this ambition seems to have completely dissipated as Erdoğan declared that Hamas is a group of "freedom fighters" and not a terrorist organization, as classified by Israel, the United States, and the European Union. 

Turkey is officially a candidate to join the European Union, but negotiations that began in 2005 have been frozen since 2018. 

In its latest report on the status of negotiations with candidate countries issued on Wednesday, the European Commission once again indicated that Turkey is increasingly moving away from the democratic values advocated by the bloc. 

However, Brussels does not want to completely sever ties with this NATO member state, strategically located as a bridge between Europe and Asia. 

A European official explained this week, requesting that his name not be revealed, "What the (Turkish) president is saying raises concern here in Brussels, where we always expect to see Turkey supporting our positions on the foreign policy level." 

AFP