The 31-article declaration jointly issued by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as the presidential elections in the United States, the world's strongest country economically and militarily, draw near, has met with criticism in circles close to the government. From Yeni Şafak to Sabah and SETA, various circles harshly criticized the declaration.

Of course, there are aspects of the declaration that can be seen as lacking or deserving of criticism. I too had pointed out the shortcomings in my previous article but still found the declaration generally positive, stating my reasons.

However, the reactions to the declaration from the government side were not about the shortcomings I pointed out, but rather about the excesses: they were reacting to the mention of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the address and interpreting this as a betrayal of Hamas.

Accusation of Betrayal in Erdogan-Signed Declaration

Let's examine these reactions, most clearly articulated by AKP's Mehmet Metiner in his Yeni Şafak article:

In his article titled "The summit to bury Hamas in Gaza. The other name of betrayal," Metiner accuses the PLO of severe allegations in defense of Hamas, branding the declaration that points to the PLO instead of Hamas as a declaration of betrayal.

Since Erdogan's signature is on the declaration he sees as betrayal, Metiner resorts to a maneuver at the end of his article: "It would be fitting for the President, who greets Hamas more than anyone else as a group of mujahideen, to say 'One Minute' and break this game! I say let those who remain silent in the face of this betrayal be mute!" (Yeni Şafak, 14.11.2023)

It is evident that those criticizing the declaration from this perspective, starting with Metiner, are more concerned about Hamas than Palestine itself.

Political Islamists' Stance on Palestine

The reasons for the political Islamists in Turkey being distant from the Palestinian cause in the past have resurfaced in the person of Metiner.

While Turkish revolutionaries rushed to fight shoulder to shoulder against Israel on the Palestinian front, Turkey's political Islamists were distant towards the Palestinian issue. Their reason was that the organizations defending Palestine were nationalist, anti-imperialist, and leftist.

As these organizations in the Palestinian resistance weakened and political Islamist organizations started gaining strength, Turkey's political Islamists began to show more interest in the Palestinian issue.

The Wrongness of Anti-Hamasism

Even if political Islamists engage in Hamasism, those seeking truth in facts cannot engage in anti-Hamasism. The ideology of Hamas is an issue for Palestinians in Gaza; for non-Palestinians, what matters is whether Hamas contributes to the Palestinian resistance against the US-Israel.

Moreover, as I stated in my commentary on CGTN Türk, "Hamas's ideology is also the ideology of the majority in Gaza", therefore "a solution without Hamas in Gaza is not realistic".

On the other hand, "evaluations equating Hamas with ISIS and al-Qaeda are not correct; both ISIS and al-Qaeda have been criticizing Hamas for years for not implementing Sharia in Gaza". (CGTN Türk, 14.11.2023)

One Roof, One Region

In the 27th article of the Arab-Islamic joint declaration, "emphasizing that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and calling for all Palestinian groups to gather under the PLO's roof" is not negative for those who accept the Palestinian people and the State of Palestine, but rather positive.

And this article points not to a solution without Hamas in Gaza, but rather to a stronger PLO solution that includes Hamas.

The PLO, serving as the umbrella for Palestinian groups, has long been recognized by the Arab League and the UN Security Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Hamas joining under the PLO's umbrella will not only provide it with a shield of legitimacy but also eliminate the Gaza-West Bank separation, facilitating the recognition of the State of Palestine.