Turkey’s ties to Hamas, once a liability in Washington, have turned into a geopolitical asset. By persuading Hamas to accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza deal, Ankara has reasserted itself on the Middle East chessboard, to the dismay of Israel and Arab rivals.
Initially resistant to the U.S. president's ultimatum — free the Israeli hostages or face continued devastation — Hamas leaders relented only when Turkey, a country they view as a political patron, urged them to agree to the American plan.
Two regional sources and two Hamas officials said Ankara's message was unequivocal: The time had come to accept.
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