U.S. Sanctions a New Wave of Turkish ‘Charities’ Supporting Hamas

They may call themselves charities, but that doesn’t mean the money they collect goes to a good cause. On March 12, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned three Turkish charities for their role in providing “significant material support to Hamas,” a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The Turkish entities used humanitarian and charitable fronts to finance Hamas’s military wing, according to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

OFAC designated Ghazi Destek Dernegi (GDD), Hayat Yolu, and the Palestinian White Hands Assistance and Solidarity Association (Palestinian White Hands) for their role in channeling “assets to local charities in Gaza that are controlled by Hamas,” helping the entity raise and move money that supports Hamas’s military operations.

Charities Keep on Giving — to Terrorists

According to Treasury, internal Hamas documents recovered by investigators reveal that GDD, working alongside other designated organizations such as Waed Society Gaza, helped provide material assistance to individual Hamas members and supported construction initiatives that directly benefited the organization. Additionally, Hayat Yolu is identified as an entity that provided fundraising capabilities to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization with some branches that the Trump administration has designated as  terrorist organizations.

Turkish Officials and Entities Openly Support Hamas

While there is no evidence the three charities have ties to the Turkish government, they are founded on fertile ground. Turkey does not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization, and refers to the entity as a “resistance” movement, and senior Turkish officials openly express their support and admiration for Hamas, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In January, Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, hosted a Hamas leadership delegation in Ankara, where he reiterated Turkey’s ongoing support for Hamas’s activities. Erodgan also has an established track record for frequently hosting senior Hamas leaders, receiving Ismail Darwish in January 2025 and Ismail Haniyeh in April 2024. On both occasions, Erdogan expressed Turkey’s ongoing support for Hamas.

Since 2022, the United States has repeatedly targeted Hamas networks and allies operating in Turkey. Trend GYO, a Turkish construction conglomerate with an estimated worth of $500 million, was designated by the United States in 2022 for “generat[ing] revenue for the terrorist group through the management of an international investment portfolio.” Treasury also sanctioned Hamas officials based in Turkey who coordinate support for Hamas. Jihad Yaghmour was designated by the United States for his role as Hamas’s Turkey representative, working as a key interlocutor between Hamas officials and senior members of the Turkish government.

More Turkish Charities Deserve Scrutiny

The designation of Turkish-linked charities demonstrates that Hamas’s financial networks remain operational. Congress and the Treasury Department should expand inspection of Turkish charities and financial intermediaries suspected of supporting Hamas. Enhanced monitoring and targeted designations could deter additional organizations from serving as conduits for terrorist financing. U.S. policymakers should engage Turkish authorities directly regarding the presence of Hamas-linked actors and charities operating within their jurisdiction. Diplomatic pressure — combined with the threat of secondary sanctions — may encourage stronger enforcement against entities facilitating terrorist financing.

Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Sinan and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Sinan on X @SinanCiddi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.