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Turkey 'Deports' Palestinian Activists

Istanbul, Turkey (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Istanbul, Turkey (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    Ankara - Ramallah: Saeed Abdulrazzak - Kifah Zboun
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Turkey 'Deports' Palestinian Activists

Istanbul, Turkey (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Istanbul, Turkey (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Turkey has reportedly deported several Palestinian activists from the Hamas Movement and other Interpol-wanted persons for committing criminal acts, informed sources said on Thursday.

The sources, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, neither confirmed nor denied Israeli reports claiming the Turkish authorities' deported dozens of Hamas members during the past months, based on a list of names submitted by Tel Aviv.

The sources pointed out that the Turkish authorities arrested Palestinian national Omari Odeh in a security operation in Istanbul in March, days after the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey.

According to Turkish media, Odeh is wanted on an Interpol red notice for committing organized crimes between 2017 and 2019, including murder, attempted murder, money laundering, and fraud, among other accusations.

He was arrested in an apartment in the Sisli neighborhood in Istanbul and was later deported.

The Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, reported that Turkey deported Hamas members at Israel's request in recent months.

A Palestinian source said that "dozens of people identified with Hamas in various circles have been deported [from Turkey]."

Several media outlets confirmed this report, saying some Hamas members who had traveled outside Turkey were not being allowed to return.

The Palestinian official said there was nothing "random" about the decision.

"Turkey asked them to leave, which actually happened in the last few months. Some of the people with ties to Hamas' military wing have been deported," he claimed.

The Israelis gave Turkey a list of Hamas members and information about the involvement of some of them in military activity.

"In response, the Turks contacted Hamas and told them, 'You promised you wouldn't do anything like that here, so now you need to leave,'" he said.

The official said that Turkey had told the Hamas leadership that "economic interests" were at play.

"The renewed ties between Turkey and Israel are supposedly diplomatic and political, but Hamas knows that Israel has influence over Turkey regarding security issues. A few Israeli security representatives have also visited Turkey."

While Ankara issued no official position or statement, media outlets opposed to the government highlighted the Israeli reports, saying Hamas has become a victim of normalization between the Turkish government and Israel.

Meanwhile, sources close to Hamas in Gaza told Asharq Al-Awsat that Turkey has already ordered the movement's activists to leave and prevented the return of others.

They reported that this has been going on for many weeks, adding that the policy has changed.

They added that Turkey informed the movement's officials months ago that their stay in the country depended on ending their activity against Israel.

The sources stressed that Ankara is tightening its measures against the movement, thanks to its rapprochement with Israel, which is an inconvenience for Hamas that still has a presence in Turkey.

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Syrian Kurds Frustrated with Damascus Over Exclusion from Transitional Govt Formation

Syrian Kurds celebrate in Qamishli the agreement between the Syrian administration and the SDF (Archive - Reuters).
Syrian Kurds celebrate in Qamishli the agreement between the Syrian administration and the SDF (Archive - Reuters).
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Syrian Kurds Frustrated with Damascus Over Exclusion from Transitional Govt Formation

Syrian Kurds celebrate in Qamishli the agreement between the Syrian administration and the SDF (Archive - Reuters).
Syrian Kurds celebrate in Qamishli the agreement between the Syrian administration and the SDF (Archive - Reuters).

Discontent among Syria’s Kurds has been evident following their exclusion from consultations regarding the formation of the transitional government, which is set to be announced by Damascus within hours. The Kurdish National Council (KNC) has confirmed its decision to boycott the government’s inauguration ceremony, despite receiving an official invitation to attend.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, KNC spokesperson Faisal Youssef stated that the new administration in Damascus “did not engage with us regarding the formation of this government, nor did it consult us in selecting its members or portfolios.”
He emphasized that Kurdish political forces are the sole representatives and defenders of Kurdish rights, adding: “We are not interested in merely attending the announcement ceremony; our concern is ensuring our people’s demands are constitutionally recognized.”
Youssef further clarified that the Kurdish bloc was not offered participation in the upcoming government. Expressing his disappointment, he said: “We had hoped the new administration would acknowledge the demands of the Kurdish people, who constitute the country’s second-largest ethnic group, and grant them their rights as partners in building a new Syria.”
The constitutional declaration grants President Ahmad Al-Sharaa sweeping powers to manage the transitional phase but fails to meet the aspirations of minorities, including Kurds and Christians. These groups fear the reproduction of an authoritarian regime, as the declaration sets the transitional period at five years and grants the president control over legislative, executive, and judicial authorities, despite nominally upholding the principle of “separation of powers.”
Zaid Sefouk, from the Independent Kurdistan Movement, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Al-Sharaa government “lacks legitimacy from the people, was formed through unilateral decision-making, and represents a single political faction. It will not be capable of governing Syria or overcoming the destruction left behind by the ousted Ba’athist regime.”
Previously, Al-Sharaa had signed a so-called historic agreement with Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The agreement stipulated the integration of the civil and military institutions of the Autonomous Administration, which is controlled by the SDF in northeastern Syria, into the structures of the central government. It also placed border crossings, Qamishli Airport, and oil, gas, and energy fields in Deir ez-Zor under the central administration in Damascus.
The agreement allows technical committees time to negotiate the details until early next year, providing the SDF an opportunity to push for its demands.
Sources familiar with the government formation have indicated that ministerial positions will be assigned to Kurdish figures. However, when asked about these individuals or political blocs expected to participate, Faisal Youssef denied any contact between the new administration and the Kurdish political movement or any party regarding government participation.
He said: “There has been no discussion with us about the basis on which any Kurdish representatives would join, their level of representation for Kurdish regions, or how our national demands would be met within the framework of state institutions.”
Since its establishment in mid-2014, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has governed civil councils across four provinces: Hasakah, Raqqa, parts of Deir ez-Zor, and the city of Ain al-Arab (Kobani) in eastern Aleppo. This region holds 90% of Syria’s oil and gas reserves.