Turkey May Provide Hamas With $300 Million In Annual Aid

[Purveyor]

Turkey may provide Hamas with $300 million in annual aid, Turkish sources report. The aid would take place of Iranian funding, which has been significantly reduced.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh reportedly received assurances to this effect during his recent visit to Turkey.

Haniyeh was warmly received earlier this month by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was cheered when he visited the Turkish parliament. Turkey supports reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas and Turkish sources report that the Erdogan government has promised to seriously aid the reconciliation process.

According to Turkish sources, Haniyeh laid out in detail for Erdogan the financial difficulties Hamas is currently facing, after payments from Iran, that had totaled $250-$300 annually, did not arrive on time and were cut significantly. This led to Hamas not being able to pay the salaries of employees.

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http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkey-may-provide-hamas-with-300-million-in-annual-aid-1.409708

[bemildred]

1. You can just kind of feel the ground shifting, pebbles moving, little vibrations ...

On the one hand, we are going to have the "see, Turkey is radical" argument.

On the other hand, we will have the "see, Hamas is becoming moderate" argument.

I tend to favor the latter, governing always makes one tend to see the virtues of order, and because Turkey will be calling the tune, but we will have to see how it goes.

[oberliner]

2. See, Turkey is radical

$300 million to Hamas? From an EU country? And that's kosher?

[bemildred]

3. LOl.

[oberliner]

4. Glad to give you a laugh

People here can be a little too wound up at times.

[bemildred]

5. Indeed.

I do appreciate it.