Secret Turkey visit by Israeli intel chief raises eyebrows as Turkey and Qatar deny Hamas leaders moved there permanently

The chief of Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, secretly traveled to Turkey over the past weekend, Israeli media reported.

Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar met with his counterpart, Ibrahim Kalin, to discuss Turkey's role in the efforts to restart negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage-release deal with the Hamas terror group.

Notably, the visit came amid reports that Hamas’ political leadership recently relocated from Qatar to Turkey.

According to Walla News, a senior Israeli official said Turkey could help put pressure on Hamas, but the main mediator will now be Egypt, after Qatar announced it had stopped mediation efforts.

Meanwhile, a Turkish official denied reports that Hamas’ leadership had permanently moved to Turkey, claiming they were only temporarily visiting, which was later confirmed by Qatar.

“The members of the political wing of Hamas visit Turkey from time to time. Claims according to which Hamas moved its offices to Turkey do not reflect reality,” stated Ynet News, citing a Qatari diplomat.

Hamas also said the reports were “rumors the (Israeli) occupation is trying to publish from time to time.”

Following reports that Turkey, a NATO member and close ally of the U.S., had allowed the leadership of a terror group to take up residence in the country, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington would make it clear that Turkey shouldn’t host Hamas.

“We don't believe the leaders of a vicious terrorist organization should be living comfortably anywhere, and that certainly includes in ... a major city of one of our key allies and partners,” Miller told reporters.

He added that some Hamas leaders are under U.S. indictment and should be turned over for prosecution.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a discussion with senior ministers and security chiefs regarding the IDF's efforts to rescue the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

During the meeting, Bar also briefed the audience about his meeting in Turkey, while the security chiefs reportedly offered a “grim assessment” of the situation and argued for more Israeli concessions to reach a deal.

In recent weeks, the Turkish government has doubled down on its hostility toward Israel several times.

Last Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Turkey would cut all remaining ties with the State of Israel, primarily commercial relations.

On Saturday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office announced he had decided to cancel his trip to the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan, after Turkey refused to allow the "Wing of Zion," the official aircraft of the State of Israel, to cross Turkish airspace.