Turkey ignited controversy on Friday after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a day of mourning for the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, with reports indicating that flags were lowered to half-mast worldwide, including in Israel.
Flags lowered to half-staff across Türkiye and at Turkish missions overseas to honor the political chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran pic.twitter.com/gwbVOMH4Tp
— RT (@RT_com) August 3, 2024
In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for a stern reprimand after the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to honor Haniyeh. Foreign Minister Israel Katz expressed Israel’s outrage, stating, “The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh.” He further accused Erdoğan of transforming Turkey into a “dictatorship” by supporting “Hamas’ murderers and rapists, against the stance of the entire free world.”
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli countered Katz’s remarks, asserting, “You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators or threatening diplomats,” seemingly referring to Haniyeh, who was reportedly engaged in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Social media images suggest the Turkish flag was lowered to half-mast not only in Tel Aviv but also in Washington, D.C., although Fox News Digital was unable to immediately verify these claims. Neither the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C., nor the U.S. State Department responded promptly to inquiries about the incident.
🇹🇷🇮🇱 Israeli foreign minister summoned Turkey’s deputy ambassador in Tel Aviv following the Turkish embassy’s decision to lower flags in mourning for the martyred Ismail Haniyeh.
Subscribe to @Journalyze pic.twitter.com/zhNQZjLjcs
— Saaz Abadi (@Saaz_Abadi) August 2, 2024
Erdoğan has been outspoken in condemning the recent killing of the Hamas leader, who was reportedly killed in Tehran earlier this week. According to a New York Times report, Haniyeh died in an attack involving a bomb planted in the visitor quarters where he was staying in Iran.
The incident has raised questions about how a bomb could be planted months in advance in a building under the close watch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death, unlike its acknowledged role in a recent strike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr, head of the group’s military operations.
The Turkish President Erdoğan’s directive to Turkish embassies to lower the Turkish flag to half-mast in mourning for the martyrdom of Palestinian leader Ismail Abdul Salam Haniyeh. The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv has also lowered the Turkish flag to half-mast.👇🏼👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/5YLcZUpWVD
— Adam 𓂆 Manasra ❤️🖤🤍💚 (@adammanasra) August 2, 2024
Despite this, Iran, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, has accused Israel of orchestrating Haniyeh’s death and has vowed to seek revenge.
Major Points :
- President Erdoğan declared a day of mourning for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, prompting global lowering of flags, including in Israel.
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish deputy ambassador for a reprimand, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemning the mourning of Haniyeh and accusing Erdoğan of supporting terrorists.
- Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli defended the mourning, emphasizing the importance of peace and diplomacy, indirectly referring to Haniyeh’s involvement in ceasefire talks.
- Unverified images on social media showed Turkish flags at half-mast in multiple locations, including Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C.
- Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in a bomb attack, raising questions about the security breach in a heavily monitored Iranian building. Israel has not claimed responsibility, but Iran and its allies have blamed Israel and vowed retaliation.
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
