The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared that Turkey ‘fully rejects’ the statement of the US Department of State slamming the recent meeting of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two leaders of Hamas in Istanbul.

“Declaring the representative of Hamas (Hamas came to power after winning the democratic elections in Gaza) a terrorist doesn’t contribute to the efforts aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region,” the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey reads.

Turkey has urged the US to use its regional impact for ‘balanced politics’ that will help settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not ‘serve the interests of Israel’.