The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoganannounced that cancels all his plans to visit Israel -despite the recent rapprochement between the two countries- and stated that Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but “a group of liberators protecting their land”.

As broadcast from Istanbul by Manolis KostidisErdogan stated that “the West supports Israel because it owes it a lot” and added that Turkey “doesn’t owe Israel anything”.

“The whole West sees Hamas as a terrorist organization. Now from here I address and say. Israel, you are an organization and the West owes you a lot. But Turkey owes you nothing! And Hamas is not a terrorist organization! It is a group of warriors and liberators who fight to protect its lands and citizens.”

“We had plans to visit Israel, but they fell through. We will not go” he said addressing the parliamentary group of the Justice and Development Party, accusing Israel of taking advantage of Turkey’s good intentions. Erdogan met with Israel’s prime minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September in New York.

Referring to Hamas has declared that it is not a terrorist organization, but “group of liberators protecting their land”.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan stated today from Doha that an Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip will turn the conflict into a massacre.

During a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the Turkish Foreign Minister also stated that those who support Israel’s actions under the guise of solidarity “they are accomplices in his crimes.”