Concerns that Hamas could relocate its headquarters to Nato-member country Turkey are being probed by more than three dozen US Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Turkey’s support for Hamas, designated as terrorist by the US, should be appraised by a classified briefing given by the Biden administration to lawmakers, they say.

The briefing should look at reports that officials of Hamas’ political bureau expelled from Qatar are being welcomed in Turkey, the lawmakers said in a November 21 letter sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

“Throughout the tenure of [Turkish] President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s relationship with Hamas has long been an issue of concern,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Reports of Hamas’s potential relocation of its headquarters to Turkey, a NATO ally, are deeply concerning and dramatically escalate existing concerns about Turkey’s relationship with the terrorist group. With these concerns in mind, we request an immediate briefing in a classified setting to discuss,” they added.

With the return of Donald Trump to the White House on January 20, a battle for his support will commence in earnest between Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For the past year, Erdogan and Netanyahu—since November 21, subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant—have been involved in a furious war of words over the situation in Gaza.

Ankara on November 18 rejected claims that Hamas had moved its political operation to Turkey.

The previous day, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Hamas members left for Turkey from Doha after Qatar allegedly requested their departure from the Gulf state. However, on November 18, Middle East Eye reported Turkish diplomatic sources as telling reporters that, although members of the Hamas political bureau visit Turkey from time to time, claims that the group had relocated to the country “do not reflect the truth".

The claims of a move to Turkey came after Blinken stated that Qatar had requested that Hamas members leave the country because they were not accepting a ceasefire and hostage agreement as regards the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas.

Explaining its standpoint earlier this month, Qatar conceded its frustration at stalled negotiations aimed at securing a peace and said it had suspended its role as a mediator in the conflict. But Qatar formally rejected claims that it had asked Hamas to close its representative office in Doha.

Erdogan has long given public backing to Hamas’ political leadership and hosted meetings with the group’s leaders in Ankara. Even since Hamas committed a slaughter of civilians with its October 7, 2023 incursion into Israel, Erodgan has praised the militants as a “liberation group”, while condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “Hitler” and “psychopath” for the mass destruction and death suffered by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at the hands of invading Israeli forces. 

The letter requesting the classified briefing was led by Democratic Representatives Dan Goldman and Josh Gottheimer and Republicans Gus Bilirakis and Nicole Malliotakis. It was also signed by 37 other House members from both sides of the aisle. 

In their letter, the lawmakers also ask for any details on the extent of ties between Ankara and Hamas and whether any material or financial support is provided to the group by Turkey. They also query whether the US would seek extradition of Hamas officials from Turkey based on US criminal charges pressed against the group by American families of victims of the October 7 attacks. 

The lawmakers also raise questions over whether there is evidence that Hamas has ever planned terrorist attacks from Turkish soil. Israel has frequently claimed the Hamas presence in Turkey goes far beyond political operations and has links to terrorism operations. Ankara has refuted all such claims made by Israel.