Hamas Praises Turkey, with Reservations

JERUSALEM, Israel – Hamas, the Palestinian faction ruling the Gaza Strip, thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts to lift Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza port.

"Those stands are in accordance with a long history of Turkish support and solidarity with Palestinianst," the statement read, adding praise for the "martyred and wounded activists on board the Mavi Marmara…who sacrificed their lives and blood for Palestine."

"The Movement looks forward to a Turkish role that ends the Gaza siege and stops Israeli incursions," it stated.

Along with praising Turkey's president, some Hamas officials reiterated their opposition to reconciliation of Israeli-Turkish diplomatic ties.

The deal ends a six-year diplomatic stalemate between the two former allies, whose relationship began deteriorating shortly after then Prime Minister Erdogan, now president, began his career in 2003.

Despite Turkey's status as a NATO member, Erdogan has steadily guided the country toward a more fundamentalist Islamic lifestyle.

In Monday's press statement, Hamas thanked Erdogan for his support of the Palestinian people.