Türkiye condemns assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Haniyeh

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has expressed "deep sadness" over the death of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh following his assassination by Israel in Iran.

"I learned with deep sadness that my dear brother Ismail Haniye was martyred in Iran," Fidan said, adding Haniye devoted his life to the Palestinian cause and to bringing peace and tranquility to Palestine.

"We are witness to the efforts he has made recently to achieve a ceasefire. Even when his family members were massacred by Israel, he never lost his belief in peace," Fidan said. "Ismail Haniye was a figure who became the symbol of the glorious Palestinian resistance. His cherished memory will live on in the just cause of the Palestinian people."

"Israel has no intention of achieving peace"

Earlier, Türkiye's Foreign Ministry also released a statement, condemning Israel for the "heinous" assassination of Haniyeh.

"We extend our condolences to the Palestinian people who have sacrificed hundreds of thousands of martyrs like Haniyeh in order to live in peace in their homeland under the roof of their own state, " the ministry said on Wednesday.

Haniyeh's assassination once again demonstrates that the Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of achieving peace, said the ministry.

The ministry also warned that the region will face much larger conflicts if the international community does not take action to stop Israel.

"Türkiye will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinian people," the statement added.

Haniyeh's assassination aims to expand the conflict beyond Gaza to a regional scale, it stated.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas announced early Wednesday that Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli air strike targeting his residence in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Iranian state television also reported Haniyeh’s death, noting that an investigation into the assassination is ongoing and that the results will be announced soon.

AK Party condemns ‘Zionist’ assassination of Hamas

Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party also condemned the assassination of Haniyeh.

The governing party condemned the attack that took place in the Iranian capital of Tehran, with its Deputy Chairman and spokesperson Omer Celik describing it as a "Zionist assassination."

"We condemn the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, one of the leading figures in the Palestinian cause, in Tehran in a Zionist assassination," said Celik on his social media account X.

Haniyeh, a prominent Palestinian leader, was reportedly targeted while in Iran, prompting widespread condemnation from many quarters.

Describing the impact of Haniyeh's assassination, Celik said: "Haniyeh was martyred while fighting for the Palestinian people and homeland as a result of the attackers' assault. This assassination once again shows that the Netanyahu government is a network of genocide and massacre."

"The rightful cause of our brotherly Palestinian people will defeat these murderers sooner or later," Celik added.