GAZA CITY
The Palestinian faction Hamas on Saturday lauded a decision by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu not to attend the 51st Munich Security Conference due to Israeli participation in a conference session on the Middle East.
"We applaud [Turkish] Foreign Minister Cavusoglu's decision to pull out of the Munich Security Conference due to the participation of Israeli officials," Hamas said in a statement.
"This move exemplifies Turkey's role in standing by the Palestinian people and their plight," it added.
On Friday, Cavusoglu decided not to attend the 51st Munich Security Conference, citing the participation of Israeli officials.
"We have decided not to participate in the Munich Security Conference because they [conference organizers] have subsequently invited Israeli representatives to the Middle East session," Cavusoglu said at a press conference.
In 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "regret" for a 2010 deadly attack on a Turkish ship.
In 2010, the Israeli navy attacked the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla, killing ten Turkish activists.
www.aa.com.tr/en
