GAZA CITY 

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Turkey on Sunday, the Palestinian resistance group said.

The visit is the first leg in a foreign tour that will also take Haniyeh to Malaysia, Russia, Qatar, Lebanon, Mauritania and Kuwait.

A Hamas source said Haniyeh and his accompanying delegation arrived in Istanbul at dawn.

The foreign tour is the first by Haniyeh since he was elected leader of the Palestinian resistance group in 2017.

A Palestinian source told Anadolu Agency on Saturday that Haniyeh had obtained permission from Egyptian authorities to conduct the tour during his recent visit to Cairo.

Palestinians living in the blockaded Gaza Strip use the Cairo International Airport for overseas trips.