Hamas arch-terrorist Khaled Mashaal was forced to leave his refuge in Qatar, but he has a new home: Turkey.

Turkish President Erdogan. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, who has been seeking refuge in Qatar until now, is reportedly being deported from Qatar and will make his new home in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

The Turkish press is reporting the Mashaal was kicked out by the Qataris in the wake of international pressure to stop supporting Hamas.

Egypt has recently increased its diplomatic ties with Qatar and other countries in an attempt to present a unified front against the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) terror organization and a nuclear Shi’ite Iran.

Part of the warming of ties includes a Qatari shift away from Hamas, which is considered an enemy entity and a security threat by Egypt.

Mashaal was recently the guest of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Hamas leader participated in the ruling AK Party’s congress held in Konya, during which Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was seen holding hands with Mashaal.

U.S. ‘Concerned’ by Turkish Support for Hamas

The United States expressed its concern over Turkey’s hosting of the Hamas leader. Jeff Rathke, the Department of State’s press director, stated: “Hamas is a designated foreign terrorist organization. Hamas continues to engage in terrorist activity and demonstrated its intentions, among other times, during this summer’s conflict with Israel. And we continue to raise our concerns about the relationship between Hamas and Turkey with senior Turkish officials, particularly after learning about Khaled Mashaal’s recent visit there.”

He added that “we have urged the Government of Turkey to press Hamas to reduce tensions and prevent violence. We raise this at senior levels with our Turkish counterparts.”

Complaint Lodged By Israel Against Turkey

Hamas terrorists in Gaza. (Photo: Emad Nassar/Flash90)

Israel has previously expressed rage at Turkey’s support of Hamas terrorism.

Israel lodged a complaint in November with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), of which Turkey is a member, based on Turkey’s permitting Hamas to set up headquarters in the nation’s largest city and to coordinate its operations against the Jewish State from there.

Israel demanded that NATO take action against Turkey for enabling a terror organization to operate unhindered within its borders, stressing that it was unacceptable for a NATO member to continue a relationship with a terror organization.

Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon conveyed a similar message to the U.S. during his recent visit there, telling Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel:

“Turkey is playing a cynical game. Hamas is supported by Qatar and Turkey, even as Turkey is a NATO member. It is unacceptable that the terror organization has two headquarters: one in Gaza and one in Istanbul.”

By: Aryeh Savir
Staff Writer, United with Israel