'Hamas is a resistance group that is defending its lands' — Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation but a resistance group defending its Israeli-occupied lands.

"From 1947 until today, Palestine has come to this day by losing its lands over and over again," Erdogan said on Tuesday in an interview with US-based NBC News.

When asked by host Keir Simmons about "there are those who criticise you, Türkiye, for providing a home for Hamas, who the US say are a terrorist, and you say that you are opposed to terrorism," Erdogan said: "We are, of course, against terrorists."

"But I am one of the leaders who knows Hamas well. I have never called Hamas a terrorist organisation and I do not view Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

"Because Hamas is a resistance group that strives to protect its lands. Therefore, how can I call such a resistance group a terrorist organisation ?" Erdogan said.

Replying to a question on the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, the president said the backdrop of the incident should be examined.

"We need to know the reasons that prepared the conditions for October 7. We need to understand them well. And when we examine the background of how many Palestinians were martyred, how many Palestinians were killed, the situation reaches very, very different levels," he added.

Türkiye strongly supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders, with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border blitz by Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Nearly 41,500 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed by Israel and around 96,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Ukraine's NATO bid

During the interview, when asked about Ankara's view on Ukraine's NATO membership bid, Erdogan said that Türkiye would consider the positions of all NATO countries on this issue.

"America does not want Ukraine to join NATO in the first place. Many NATO countries do not want Ukraine to join NATO either. We need to recognise these facts and make our decision," the president said.

Erdogan said the question of Ukraine's NATO membership requires thorough consideration, noting: "When we look at these facts, these are not issues to be approached with excitement."

"When we make our decisions on these issues, of course, we put the stance of all NATO members on the table and make our decisions accordingly," he said, adding that Türkiye's final decision will come after considering the positions of other member nations.

"These decisions are not made in haste," said the president.

Ukraine has openly expressed its desire to join the NATO alliance.

While NATO has not yet offered Ukraine membership, the alliance has significantly strengthened its ties with Kiev since the war with Russia began in February 2022.