The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half-mast on the orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a sign of mourning for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The statement of mourning signed by Erdogan reads: "Due to the martyrdom of the chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, one of the prominent leaders of the Palestinian cause, as a result of a perfidious assassination in Tehran on July 31, 2024, it is appropriate to declare a national day of mourning."
The statement also states that "flags must be flown at half-staff throughout the country and in our foreign missions until sunset on Friday, August 2, 2024."
Erdogan wrote on X, "May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, fallen in martyrdom."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded, "The lowering of the flag to half-mast at the Turkish Embassy in Israel as a 'tribute' to Haniyeh shows exactly what they think of us. The Turkish ambassador is invited to take down the flag completely and return to his country. I call on the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister to schedule a hearing with the Turkish ambassador, in preparation for his removal from the country."
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman stated, "The report according to which the Turkish flag was lowered to half-mast in the embassy building in Tel Aviv following the assassination of the arch murderer, the terrorist Ismail Haniyeh, is one big disgrace. It is impossible for the country that at the beginning of the war sided with the terrorist organizations and threatened just this week to invade the State of Israel to have an embassy in the heart of Tel Aviv."
This morning, the Turkish government blocked the Instagram social media platform. While no official reason was given, official in Turkey accused Instagram of removing hundreds of posts expressing mourning for Haniyeh's death.