Hamas praises Turkish people's stand against coup bid

Nour Abu Aysha

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Ismail Radwan, a leading member of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, praised the Turkish people on Friday for defending their country’s security and stability from last week’s coup bid by a renegade military group.

In a Friday sermon delivered in Gaza City, Radwan, who serves as religious affairs minister in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, said: "The Palestinian people -- its presidency, government and political parties -- entirely support Turkey against this coup attempt."

Much of this support, he asserted, stemmed from the gratitude Palestinians felt for the role Turkey has played -- politically, financially and morally -- in supporting the Palestinian national cause.

Radwan went on to note that Turkey had always supported the oppressed people of Palestine and had even offered the blood of its martyrs.

He pointed in particular to the notorious 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, in which ten Turkish activists were killed while attempting to break the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip.

On the day following the failed coup bid in Turkey, Hamas organized several demonstrations to express its solidarity with the Turkish people and Turkey’s democratically-elected government.

Last week’s coup plot is believed to have been orchestrated by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen’s followers have been accused of infiltrating Turkey’s vital state institutions -- especially the military, police apparatus and judiciary -- with the aim of creating a "parallel state".

At least 246 people, including civilians and security personnel, were martyred -- and more than 1,500 injured -- during last week’s putsch attempt.