Obama's BFF Erdogan advocates keeping terror group Hamas in Palestinian Unity Government.

Obama's BFF Erdogan advocates keeping terror group Hamas in Palestinian Unity Government.(HD).

Ankara has been attempting to mediate a cease-fire between Palestinian groups and Israel, with Foreign Minister Davutoğlu holding talks with his U.S. and Qatari counterparts, along with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Turkey is conducting “intense diplomacy” to reach a truce that will include “all players - Hamas and other Palestinian groups,” Davutoğlu said yesterday in a televised interview, criticizing the Israeli administration for not contacting the Palestinians over their unilateral cease-fire offer. 

Citing his phone conversations with Abbas and Mashaal, Davutoğlu said the Palestinian side demanded a comprehensive “real” truce, negotiated with all parties and consisting of “elements of the 2012 deal, and the Gilad Shalit deal,” he said.

Davutoğlu noted that he had phone conversations with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry late on July 15, during a meeting with Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Davutoğlu also talked to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

He again urged for the opening of the Gaza port, under the monitoring of the international community, including the U.N.

“I told both Abbas and Mashaal that they should not break the unity government under any circumstances. I told them that this [Israeli campaign] was an act to destroy the unity government. They will preserve the unity government,” he stated.

Davutoğlu criticized the Europe and U.S. of taking a “pro-Israel” stance. “Europe is wary of making statements due to feelings of guilt,” he said, before also citing the influence of the “Jewish lobby in the U.S.”

He claimed that Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip were an effort to “eliminate Hamas,” adding that “if Israel thinks it can get rid of Hamas and establish an administration closer to it, then it is mistaken.” He noted that Turkey conveyed to Israel that relations between the two countries could not be normalized if “this policy of Israel continues.”Read the full story here.