Today, the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State has released an impertinent statement regarding the meeting of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the Hamas representatives. We fully reject this statement.

Branding as a terrorist the legitimate representative of Hamas, which has come to power in Gaza through democratic elections and which constitutes an important reality of the region, will not contribute to efforts geared towards peace and stability in the region.

Moreover, a country which openly supports the PKK, that features on their list of terrorist organizations and hosts the ringleader of the FETO has no right whatsoever to say anything to third countries on this subject.

The US Administration designated Hamas, which is also a party to the intra-Palestinian reconciliation process, as a terrorist organization, and subsequently closed the office of Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington DC. By doing so, the U.S. Administration has severed its contact with all Palestinian authorities and the people of Palestine, thereby demonstrating the extent to which it has isolated itself from the realities of our region.

Taking this opportunity, we call upon the U.S. Administration to sincerely work towards the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of international law, justice and equity by pursuing balanced policies, instead of using its power and influence in the region to serve the interests of Israel rather exclusively.