After a bloody October 7 raid by Hamas fighters triggered Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, Erdogan initially sought to position Turkey as a mediator.
But this apparent ambition evaporated last month after the Turkish leader portrayed Hamas not as a terrorist group but as “liberators” or “mujahideen” fighting for their land.
Turkey is technically a candidate for eventual EU membership and, even if this seems a distant prospect, Brussels would prefer Ankara to support rather than compete with its positions.
“What the president says reflects badly here in Brussels. We always expect Turkey to align with us in foreign policy,” said an EU official who wished to remain anonymous.
www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231109-turkey-s-gaza-fury-deepens-splits-with-eu