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Erdogan Meets Hamas Leader in Türkiye, Discusses Efforts for Regional Peace

In this photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, shake hands during their meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
In this photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, shake hands during their meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
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Erdogan Meets Hamas Leader in Türkiye, Discusses Efforts for Regional Peace

In this photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, shake hands during their meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
In this photo released by the Turkish Presidency, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, shake hands during their meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Turkish Presidency via AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and reach a fair and lasting peace in the region during a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said.

It was the first meeting between Erdogan and a Hamas delegation headed by Haniyeh since Israel began its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh's visit to Türkiye took place three days after he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha.

"Issues related to Israel's attacks on lands of Palestine, particularly Gaza, efforts for adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region were discussed," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

The visit took place amid escalating regional tensions following Israel's reported attack on Iran this week.

"Erdogan stressed that Israel should not benefit from the developments (between Iran and Israel) and that it is important to make efforts that will draw attention to Gaza again," the statement added.

NATO member Türkiye has denounced Israel's offensive in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Erdogan has called Hamas a "liberation movement" while slamming the West for what he calls its unconditional support of Israel. Ankara has also imposed trade restrictions on Israel.

In Saturday's meeting, Erdogan told Haniyeh Türkiye continues its diplomatic efforts for a permanent ceasefire as well as the establishment of an independent state of Palestine, according to the statement.

Erdogan also told Haniyeh "it is vital for Palestinians to act in unity," the statement said.

Palestinian militant group Hamas seized control in Gaza in 2007, a year after sweeping elections, following a brief conflict with Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, reducing the PA's rule to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Efforts to reconcile the two sides have so far failed over thorny power-sharing issues. 

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Iran-Israel War Disrupts Lebanon’s Tourism Season

A billboard on the road to Beirut International Airport promoting tourism in Lebanon (AP). 
A billboard on the road to Beirut International Airport promoting tourism in Lebanon (AP). 
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Iran-Israel War Disrupts Lebanon’s Tourism Season

A billboard on the road to Beirut International Airport promoting tourism in Lebanon (AP). 
A billboard on the road to Beirut International Airport promoting tourism in Lebanon (AP). 

The outbreak of war between Iran and Israel has upended weeks of preparation aimed at delivering Lebanon’s most promising tourism season in years.

Amid the chaos affecting civil aviation across the region and the mass cancellation of flights to Beirut by most foreign carriers, uncertainty about the conflict’s duration and potential expansion to neighboring countries has led thousands of tourists to cancel their summer plans in Lebanon. The few remaining bookings are largely limited to Lebanese expatriates still holding out hope for an improvement in the situation in the coming weeks.

Official Lebanese sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that several Arab countries have evacuated the majority of their citizens from Lebanon over the past two days and continue to operate outbound flights for those who remain. The sources noted that the United States and European nations have yet to formally urge their citizens to leave the country.

Lebanon had been anticipating a lift of Gulf Cooperation Council travel restrictions, particularly after the United Arab Emirates unilaterally authorized travel to Lebanon last May. The Lebanese government had undertaken major logistical and security measures in recent weeks to create favorable conditions for the return of Arab and Gulf tourists to Beirut.

Jean Abboud, head of the Syndicate of Travel and Tourism Agencies in Lebanon, reported a surge in cancellations of airline tickets, hotel reservations, and car rentals. He said inbound travel to Lebanon had dropped by more than 60 percent, with around 50 airlines suspending flights to Beirut, leaving just four still operating.

Abboud told Asharq Al-Awsat that the longer the conflict persists, the more the tourism season is at risk. “What’s happening has paralyzed tourism both into and out of Lebanon,” he said. “At this point, I don’t believe we’ll see Arab or Gulf tourists this season. It will be limited to Lebanese expatriates.”

One of the key factors behind the wave of cancellations, Abboud added, is fear among foreign tourists that the conflict could escalate further and potentially trap them in Lebanon, preventing their return home.

Since the conflict began, Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport has been operating under an emergency schedule to manage the fallout from flight cancellations by numerous Arab and international carriers. The number of arrivals to the Lebanese capital has plunged by about 75 percent compared to the period prior to the outbreak of hostilities late Thursday night.

Tourism has long served as a cornerstone of the Lebanese economy, contributing over $8 billion annually before 2011 and accounting for nearly 20 percent of the country’s GDP.

However, the sector was severely hit by the outbreak of the Syrian war, which cut off land routes from the Gulf and sharply reduced the number of Gulf tourists.

A series of suicide bombings in 2014, followed by the country’s financial and economic collapse in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, further devastated the industry, leading to widespread closures of hotels and restaurants and a near-total halt to air travel.