Qatar, Turkiye dismiss reports alleging Hamas leaders will be deported from Doha

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Qatari Foreign Ministry have both dismissed reports alleging that Doha is planning to deport Hamas leaders, Anadolu reported.

Speaking to journalists upon his return from Iraq, Erdogan said that he does not believe Qatar will take such a step, adding that the focus should be on the situation in Gaza rather than the whereabouts of Hamas leaders.

The Turkish president said he has not received any information indicating that Qatar would deport Hamas leaders from its territory, adding that he has not heard Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani suggest such a move.

“His attitude towards them is always like that of a family member, and I do not think this position will change in the future.”

On his part, the spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed Al-Ansari, said yesterday that there is no point removing Hamas’s leaders from Doha while mediation efforts are ongoing. Qatar, he explained, remains committed to mediation efforts but is re-evaluating its role due to frustration over attacks against it.

Last Saturday, US media outlets circulated news about Hamas leaders possibly moving from Qatar to another country. Hamas denied the news.

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