Turkey’s FM criticizes Israel's stance on two-state solution amid Hamas support - analysis

Recent comments by Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan have suggested that Israel opposes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For instance, on October 15, Turkey's state broadcaster TRT said that "Turkish FM Fidan and his Jordanian counterpart [Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman] Safadi criticize international institutions for failing Palestinians and reaffirm support for a two-state solution."

Fidan has made similar comments over the last month. Hurriyet media in Turkey noted in late September that "Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Israel on Thursday for its refusal to adopt a two-state solution and warned that the unresolved Palestinian issue poses a risk to regional stability." For instance, the report said that Fidan said, "We cannot wait for the goodwill of Israel to implement the two-state solution."

The reports from Turkey come as reports in Israel say that an attempted suicide bombing in August was carried out under the direction of the Hamas office in Turkey. Ankara has long backed, supported, and hosted Hamas. The fact that Ankara pays lip service to a two-state solution while backing Hamas, which opposes a two-state solution and often targets Israel with genocidal attacks, illustrates Ankara's hypocrisy. Ankara no longer supports the Palestinian moderate groups that back two states. Instead, Ankara's policies have empowered Hamas. Ankara did not condemn the October 7 attacks, for instance.

It's important to understand this contradiction. The October 7 attacks were designed to end any sliver of hope for the two states. Hamas carried out the genocidal attack targeting areas on the border in order to illustrate to Israel and the world that two states could never be possible.

Hamas exploits Israeli withdrawal to strengthen power

This is because Hamas was making sure to illustrate that even when Israel withdraws from Palestinian areas, such as it did from Gaza in 2005, this will only lead to groups like Hamas importing missiles and carrying out genocidal attacks.

Israel's Disengagement from Gaza gave Palestinians the chance to build part of a state in Gaza. Unlike the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority often operates in close proximity to Israeli communities, in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority had a contiguous area that it could govern.

Instead of governing its responsibility, the PA allowed Hamas to grow in power until Hamas carried out the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in 2006. Then Hamas did a coup against the PA and took over Gaza. Hamas rapidly improved the range and number of its rockets. This showed Israel that any more withdrawals would lead to a similar phenomenon in the West Bank.

Instead of backing two states isolating Hamas and trying to show a Palestinian state would be responsible and peaceful, countries such as Turkey and Qatar backed Hamas. In the 2008-2009 conflict called Cast Lead, Turkey became enraged at Israel and increasingly backed Hamas. Turkey's ally Qatar also began hosting Hamas leaders in 2012.

The road from there to October 7 is clear. Ankara has said that Israel is not interested in two states, but it is Hamas that has done the most damage to the two-state concept. Hamas purposely targeted Israelis in kibbutzim who had been involved in promoting peace and coexistence on October 7. The goal of Hamas was to genocide Jews and show that any attempt at peace between the two states would lead to more Hamas gains.

By not condemning October 7, Ankara backs Hamas and also continues to pay lip service to a two-state concept that Ankara has sabotaged.