Erdogan says Turkey 'firmly backs' Hamas leaders

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara "firmly backs" Palestinian group Hamas.

"No-one can make us qualify Hamas as a terrorist organisation," he said in a speech in Istanbul. "Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and firmly backs them."

Erdogan has been one of the harshest critics of Israel since the start of its relentless military campaign in Gaza, accusing it of conducting "genocide" in the besieged enclave.