As Israel continues to reject any Turkish role in Gaza’s reconstruction or administration – and with US President Donald Trump preparing to set a deadline for Hamas to disarm – a coordinated diplomatic effort has quietly gathered momentum in recent weeks, according to a Sunday report in the Jerusalem Post. The initiative appears to significantly deepen Turkey’s involvement in Palestinian affairs, directly challenging Israel’s position that denies Hamas any political legitimacy or place in future arrangements.

The first stage of this effort became visible through official announcements from Ankara. On January 25–26, Turkey’s foreign minister and deputy foreign minister held meetings with senior Hamas leaders, including the head of the group’s Shura Council and members of its political bureau. These talks, openly reported by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, were widely seen as a clear policy signal rather than routine diplomatic outreach; especially given the October 7 attacks and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Just days later, on February 6, the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem publicized a series of high-level meetings with Palestinian Authority officials. These included discussions with the PA’s vice president, senior Fatah leaders, and key figures involved in planning Gaza’s postwar governance.

According to statements from the consulate and the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the agenda focused on “intra-Palestinian reconciliation,” “the next stage of the political process,” and “comprehensive political arrangements.”

When these interactions are viewed together, they suggest a cohesive strategy: Turkey is working to promote a framework in which Hamas would be formally recognized and incorporated into future Palestinian political structures, including governing bodies in Gaza. Within this effort, the Turkish consul general in Jerusalem appears to be applying pressure on the Palestinian Authority to accept Hamas as a legitimate partner, using terms like “national unity” and “reconciliation” to obscure Hamas’s continued status as an active terrorist organization.

Turkey’s broader posture fits into a neo-Ottoman vision that sees Jerusalem as a central strategic arena. In practice, the Turkish consulate has taken on a political role that bypasses Israel entirely, effectively operating from within the city while advancing Ankara’s regional agenda.

For Israel, this development is deeply concerning. Any move toward integrating Hamas into Gaza’s governance or into the Palestinian Authority contradicts Israel’s core security policy and its refusal to legitimize a group responsible for massacres, kidnappings, and persistent rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. Turkey’s advancing this agenda from inside Jerusalem only underscores how far Ankara’s approach has diverged from Israel’s security priorities.

Ran Yishai, head of research at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy, warned that “this is a move of diplomatic subversion and a grave risk to Israel.” He said Turkey is openly engaging Hamas’s leadership and leveraging its presence in Jerusalem to push for Hamas’s inclusion in future arrangements. “This is not diplomacy, but hostile interference aimed at preserving Hamas and the threat to Israel,” he said. He argued that “the obvious Israeli conclusion is clear, there is no place for a Turkish consulate in Jerusalem in its current format.”

Alongside Turkey’s diplomatic maneuvering, a troubling security issue surfaced this week. Israel Police released images of weapons seized from a terror cell in Jerusalem — firearms bearing Turkish manufacturer markings and serial numbers. An open-source analysis of the details visible in the police images suggests the weapons originated in Turkey. Such firearms are not legally sold in Israel and do not appear on the civilian market, strongly indicating they were smuggled into the country.

The presence of Turkish-manufactured weapons in Jerusalem’s terror networks adds a new dimension to Ankara’s political pressure campaign. As Turkey pushes for Hamas’s integration into Palestinian governance, weapons linked to Turkey are showing up in violent activity on the ground.

Yishai, who previously served as director general of the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and as a Foreign Ministry ambassador, concluded that the accumulated diplomatic and security evidence “requires a renewed examination of the activity of the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem and its actual role—not only as a diplomatic mission, but as an active political player shaping reality on the ground, to Israel’s detriment.”