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Istanbul/Washington — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and his delegation last weekend in Istanbul amid growing criticism in Turkey of his government's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. There was no news conference after the meeting.  Erdogan’s office released a statement on the topics discussed with Haniyeh, who lives in exile in Qatar. According to the statement, Erdogan and the Hamas leader talked about "Israel's attacks on Palestinian territory, especially Gaza, what needs to be done to ensure adequate and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a fair and lasting peace process in the region." Erdogan also emphasized the importance of Palestinians acting in unity, which he called "the most robust response to Israel and the way to victory go through unity and integrity." In another statement, Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) revealed that a Hamas delegation, including key members of the militant group, was present in the meeting. Haniyeh's visit came at a time when Erdogan's stance on the Israel-Hamas war and his support for the Palestinian people were questioned by the Islamist New Welfare Party, which came in third nationally in the local elections last month. On April 9, Turkey's Trade Ministry announced export restrictions of several product groups to Israel as a response growing calls in Turkey for a boycott. Some analysts think that Erdogan's meeting with Haniyeh is to consolidate his base. "AKP and Erdogan have been very worn out recently regarding the Palestine issue after it was revealed that there was trade with Israel," Erhan Kelesoglu, an Istanbul-based Middle East expert, told VOA. "Meeting with Hamas leaders actually provides President [Erdogan] with the opportunity to refresh his image before the public. It shows that he is behind the Palestinian cause and Hamas," Kelesoglu added. On April 17, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went to Doha, Qatar, where he met Haniyeh. Later in a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Fidan said that Hamas has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state with the 1967 borders. "They have told me that following the establishment of the Palestinian state, Hamas would no longer need an armed wing and they would continue as a political party," Fidan said. Some experts view Ankara’s recent involvement with Hamas as its intent to play a mediator role. “Turkey intends to reassert its influence in the region by playing a mediator role, particularly as Qatar’s mediating capacity reaches its limits, and Turkey has recently emerged as one of the intermediary countries in relations with Iran,” Evren Balta, a non-resident scholar at Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington, wrote in an analysis for MEI’s blog.  “However, it is unlikely that either Israel or the United States will agree to the role that Turkey wishes to play or see the dissolution of the military wing of Hamas as a sufficient move to engage with the organization,” Balta added.   Israel's reaction Following the meeting on April 20, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz shared a photo of Erdogan shaking hands with Haniyeh on his X account. "Erdogan, shame on you," Katz wrote in a post in Turkish. He also listed his allegations of "rape, murder, and the desecration of corpses" committed by "the Muslim Brotherhood." Hamas shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Erdogan's AKP also backed in the past. Oncu Keceli, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, reacted to Katz's statement on X, saying, "It is the Israeli authorities who should be ashamed. They have massacred nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children." "Türkiye's priority is to bring the massacre in Gaza to an end, and the establishment of a Palestinian state to ensure lasting peace in our region," Keceli added. More than 34,000 people have been killed, Palestinian health authorities say, since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October. Comparison with Turkish militia On April 17, in his ruling AKP's parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan accused critics of his handling of the Israel-Gaza war of slandering him, his party, his government, and the Turkish Republic. "Some of our steps may not be visible. We may not be able to explain some of what we do. However, those who question our sensitivity on Palestine will sooner or later be embarrassed and disgraced," Erdogan said. "I say it very clearly and openly: Hamas is the same as Kuva-yi Milliye in Turkey during the war of independence," Erdogan added. He also called Hamas "a group of mujahideen waging a battle to protect its lands and people" in the past after the Oct. 7 attack. Mujahideen is an Arabic word meaning those who fight for Islam. The U.S., the U.K. and European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. Kuva-yi Milliye, founded in 1918, is the name of the Turkish militia forces that fought in the early period of Turkey's War of Independence and was later organized under the command of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. Erdogan's statement stirred a debate in Turkey as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) rejected such a similarity between Turkish national forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. "Identifying Hamas with Kuva-yi Milliye means 'the Palestinian cause started with Hamas.' However, everyone knows very well that the [Palestinian] struggle is a struggle that has lasted for decades. And it certainly did not start with Hamas," Oguz Kaan Salici, CHP's Istanbul deputy and a Turkish Parliament's Commission of Foreign Affairs member, told VOA. CHP calls for a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians.

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Marijuana is a rare consensus issue in politically divided America, with polls showing that 88 percent of Americans support at least partially legalizing the drug. But cannabis advocates say neither of the leading presidential candidates are capitalizing on shifting attitudes. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns has our story.

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united nations — The head of the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, said Monday that 3 million Haitian children impacted by rampant gang violence need humanitarian assistance, including thousands who are at risk of death from severe malnutrition.   "Each day, children are being injured or killed," Catherine Russell told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "Some are being recruited, or they are joining armed groups out of sheer desperation."   The murder rate in Haiti has soared this year, with 2,505 people killed or injured in violence between January and March — a 53% increase over the final three months of 2023. Recent UNICEF data indicate between 30% and 50% of Haiti's gangs have children in their ranks.   Nearly half the population, almost 5 million people, is acutely food insecure, as gangs block major roads from agricultural areas to the capital, food prices rise, and the country's main airport has been closed since March 3 because of gang activity around it. The country relies on imports for half of its food.   "Recent findings from the IPC analysis indicate an alarming 19% increase in the number of children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Haiti this year," Russell said, referring to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a U.N.-backed food analysis index. "The analysis also showed that 1.64 million people are facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity, which increases the risk of child wasting and malnutrition."   She said the growing insecurity in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has made it nearly impossible for critical health and nutrition supplies to reach at least 58,000 children suffering from severe wasting – the most life-threatening form of malnutrition.   "The Martissant road, the only humanitarian corridor from Port-au-Prince to the southern regions, remains blocked, leaving an estimated 15,000 children suffering from malnutrition at risk of death," she said.   As services break down and clean water becomes less available, cholera has returned and the numbers are growing, with 80,000 suspected cases.   "The situation in Haiti is catastrophic, and it grows worse by the day," Russell said. Aid workers are continuing to deliver when they can, despite insecurity and a massive funding gap.   Haiti's U.N. envoy said the situation "is going from bad to worse."   On top of hunger and violence, Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue told the Security Council that gangs are looting private companies, especially medical companies.   "This has resulted in a serious shortage of medicines and medical products, hospital beds and blood products, including in the capital," he said. "Movement restrictions due to insecurity and improvised roadblocks are serious obstacles to the delivery of urgent medical equipment and medicines."   He called for the rapid deployment of the multinational support force that the council authorized in October 2023 to support Haiti's police. Kenya has offered to lead the non-U.N. force and several countries have offered to contribute personnel, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and Suriname.   The force has been beset with delays, including court challenges in Kenya and a shortage of funding.   In a positive development, Haiti's political process appears to be moving forward, with the publication on April 12 and 16 of executive decrees establishing the Transitional Presidential Council and appointing its members. An interim prime minister and government still need to be appointed and the Provisional Electoral Council members nominated. However, gang leaders have threatened to violently disrupt the nascent political process.   Haiti has been in turmoil since the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his home in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville. Armed gangs now control much of the capital and have spread to other parts of the country, where they have carried out massacres, kidnappings, human trafficking and sexual violence. 

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washington — The White House is weighing ways to provide temporary legal status and work permits to immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are married to American citizens, three sources familiar with the matter said on Monday, a move that could energize some Democrats ahead of the November elections. Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have pressured President Joe Biden to take steps to protect immigrants in the country illegally as Biden simultaneously considers executive actions to reduce illegal border crossings. Immigration has emerged as a top voter concern, especially among Republicans ahead of the Nov. 5 election pitting Biden, a Democrat, against his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. Trump has said Biden's less restrictive policies have led to a rise in illegal immigration. The White House in recent months has considered the possibility of executive actions to block migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border if crossings reach a certain threshold, sparking criticism from some Democrats and advocates. The Biden administration also has examined the possible use of "parole in place" for spouses of U.S. citizens, the sources said, requesting anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The temporary status would provide access to work permits and potentially a path to citizenship. No actions are imminent or finalized, the sources said. A White House spokesperson said the administration "is constantly evaluating possible policy options" but declined to confirm discussions around specific actions. "The administration remains committed to ensuring those who are eligible for relief can receive it quickly and to building an immigration system that is fairer and more humane," the spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal first reported the possible moves. An estimated 1.1 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally are married to U.S. citizens, according to data by advocacy organization FWD.us. A group of 86 Democrats sent a letter to Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last year urging them to protect spouses of U.S. citizens and create a family reunification process for those outside the country. Speaking at an advocacy press conference in Washington on Monday, Philadelphia resident and U.S. citizen Allyson Batista said her Brazilian-born husband still lacks legal immigration status after 20 years of marriage. Batista and her husband have three children together and run a construction company, she said, pleading with Biden to act. "Year after year, we continue to live in trauma and fear of separation," she said, "especially if an unfriendly administration takes over again."

LAVAL, Quebec — Members of a family in Quebec are searching for answers after discovering that their father's remains didn't make it to Canada from Cuba, where he died while on vacation, and that they instead received the remains of another man. Funerals for Faraj Allah Jarjour were scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Instead, his daughter Miriam Jarjour had been desperately calling and emailing as many officials as she can, trying to find his body. “Up until now we have no answers,” Jarjour said. “Where is my father?” Jarjour said she was swimming with her 68-year-old father in the ocean near Varadero, Cuba, during a family vacation on March 22 when he suddenly had a heart attack and died. Because there were no medical facilities, his body was covered and left on a beach chair in the hot sun for more than eight hours until a car arrived to take it to Havana, Jarjour said. After that, it’s not clear what happened. Jarjour said she followed the directions given to her by the Canadian consulate and paid $10,000 Canadian (US $7,300) to have the body returned home to the family.  However, the casket that arrived late last week contained the body of a Russian man who was at least 20 years younger than Jarjour’s father. Unlike her father, the body also had a full head of hair and tattoos. Jarjour said the stranger’s body has been sent to his country, but she and her family don't know where her father is. 'I'm honestly destroyed' When Jarjour contacted Canada's consular authorities in Cuba, they blamed the company in the island that coordinates the return of the remains. Since then, she said, she has been emailing other government officials, including her Member of Parliament, who has agreed to reach out to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly. “I’m honestly destroyed,” said Jarjour. “Up until now we have no answers. We’re waiting. I don’t know what to tell you.” Jarjour described her father as an active man who didn’t smoke or drink. The Syrian-born family man was “always smiling,” she said. The ordeal has left her mother exhausted, said Jarjour. She and her brother are struggling through their own grief while trying to get answers from authorities who all seem to deny responsibility. So far, the family has spent $25,000 Canadian (US $18,248), including $15,000 Canadian (US $10,950) for funeral services that have been put on hold. Global Affairs Canada said in an email that consular officials were working with Cuban authorities and the family to resolve the issue. But Jarjour doesn’t feel she is getting the answers she needs and is hoping Joly will personally intervene to pressure Cuban authorities. “What I want is someone to help me find my father,” she said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

After two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, officials say Ukraine is one of the most mined countries in the world. As Lesia Bakalets reports from Kyiv, besides threatening human lives, mines also affect the environment. Camera: Vladyslav Smilianets.

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill this past Saturday. The measure now heads to the Senate, which is expected to take up a vote early this week. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said called for faster processes to approve aid to enable the defense of his nation. While many people think this will get Ukraine back on track – some do not. VOA's Scott Walterman talked with Daniel L. Davis, a senior fellow and military expert at Defense Priorities . Plus, While Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine, coordinated efforts to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed during Moscow’s invasion. Lori Lundin speaks with Ambassador Clint Williamson, lead adviser of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine. Artificial intelligence continues playing a role in modern information warfare, revolutionizing the way data is processed, analyzed, and disseminated. As technology advances, understanding the intersection of AI and information warfare becomes increasingly crucial in safeguarding the integrity of information ecosystems. To take a closer look at how the United States, China, and Russia use AI in their respective information warfare operations, VOA's Steve Miller is joined by Augusta University professors Lance Hunter and Craig Albert, two of the authors of a recent study on this topic. And, A Ukrainian version of the famous video game Minecraft features Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly and many other celebrities from around the globe. The new game, called Minesalt, is based on Ukraine's famous Soledar salt mines.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Russian media say the country plans to deploy ballistic missiles close to its border with Finland. Analysts say it’s the latest in a series of military and hybrid threats that Russia has made against Finland since it joined NATO last year in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Henry Ridgwell reports.

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washington — Marijuana use is a rare consensus issue in politically divided America, with polls showing that 88% of Americans support at least partial legalization. But neither of the two main presidential contenders are capitalizing on this, advocates say, with both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump landing far behind where most Americans are on the issue. VOA spoke to cannabis advocates on the sidelines of a rare, recent policy summit on the issue, held annually in Washington as a preview to a weekend-long music festival. “One thing [both candidates] have in common is that their track records on cannabis have been inconsistent and incremental,” said Caroline Phillips, organizer of the National Cannabis Policy Summit. “We've heard promises from both administrations, neither of which have panned out in full.” Biden in 2022 directed the Department of Health and Human Services to take a key step toward legalization by ordering a review of its classification of marijuana as a dangerous controlled substance, on par with heroin and LSD. Nearly a year later, the body recommended moving marijuana to a lighter classification, alongside prescription drugs. That ruling now sits with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which has the power to act. But, Phillips said, many advocates seek the full removal – or “de-scheduling” – of the substance from the DEA’s Controlled Substances Act. “They have given us great signals that they're willing to shift towards de-scheduling, but most likely re-scheduling,” she said of the Biden administration. “However, we haven't quite seen the action to back up their words.” Re-scheduling puts marijuana on par with prescription drugs and regulates users’ access to it; de-scheduling removes it from the list of controlled substances entirely. Neera Tanden, director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, said the administration sees a need to learn more – something that re-scheduling the substance would enable by making it more readily available to scientific researchers. “There's been a lot of change on this issue for several years,” she told VOA. “It's important for us to be able to research it more effectively.” A small but vocal group of anti-cannabis legislators in Congress have also expressed concerns about changing the status of marijuana. Last year, 14 of them – all Republicans – sent a letter opposing the effort to loosen its classification. In their letter, the group pointed to the potential for addiction and the increased potency of today’s cannabis, saying “facts indicate that marijuana has a high potential for abuse and that the risk is only increasing.” Trump’s position on marijuana, advocates say, is hazy. The pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project says he “never brought the issue up proactively” as president. Since leaving office, Phillips said, “we've heard him both say that people who sell drugs in the illicit market should be jailed and even put to death.” On the campaign trail, Trump has largely avoided the issue, said Morgan Fox, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, known as NORML. “We haven't heard too much from the Republican nominee so far,” he said. The personal becomes political The candidates’ attitudes, Fox said, are out of step with those of many Americans, and lean on old tropes about marijuana that paint users as prone to mania – like in the 1936 film “Reefer Madness” – or use fear as a tool, like the 1980s-era Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. "Luckily, with the advent of the internet and the development of a lot more communication around these issues, people have not only been able to see that the policy of prohibiting cannabis and criminalizing cannabis consumers is nonsensical, but they've also been able to really see the human impact that it has had,” he said. For entrepreneur William Davis, this is personal. With his pressed jeans, alligator-skin boots, crisp white cowboy hat and penchant for replying to questions with “yes, ma’am,” he knows he does not cut the figure of a stereotypical cannabis user. “It's a lot of people that you would never think,” he said. For years, the Iraq war veteran struggled with PTSD and opioid addiction. He was reluctant to accept a friend’s recommendation that he try cannabis, he said, because to him it evoked a wildly popular 1980s ad that showed a frying egg, and a stern admonition: “This is your brain on drugs.” “Like in a hot pan with the egg, I thought, ‘Nah, I don’t wanna try drugs, I’m gonna fry my brains,’” Davis said. Instead, he said, marijuana produced a revelation. Davis says he uses CBD, the non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana, to soothe his anxiety during the day, and the active component, THC, for relaxation after work. Six years ago, he founded a company, Euphoria Eats, that sells infused hot sauce and barbecue sauce. Davis, who is from Houston but now lives in solidly Republican Louisiana, said he supports legalization for business reasons. “Until this will be decriminalized and legal everywhere, there will always be hesitant individuals who are afraid to put their money into a lucrative business that they see is making money, that they see is making an impact on the community,” he told VOA. 'My vote influences cannabis laws' Polls show that the greatest pro-cannabis momentum comes from younger Americans. Community organizer Scotty Smart spoke to VOA about his position as a young progressive, which was summarized neatly on his moss-green T-shirt that read: “MY VOTE INFLUENCES CANNABIS LAWS.” “I think cannabis is an issue that ignites and excites young people to pay attention,” said Smart, who works with the nonpartisan New Georgia Project and with a pro-marijuana education and awareness movement called We Want all the Smoke. A key factor that young voters are watching for, he said, is whether the Biden administration moves forward with the process of downgrading cannabis. “Hopefully that takes place before the election so we can really see, have something to go off of and not just have election speeches giving us hope,” he said. Maya Tatum, former chair of the national grassroots group Students for Sensible Drug Policy, agreed that the candidates’ actions matter more than their words. Neither man, she said, is a clear winner here. “A lot of the young voters that I'm around are wanting to hold Joe Biden accountable for what he said,” in support of cannabis, she said. “I don't personally feel like there's a lot that Trump is offering as it relates to cannabis.” Fox said NORML would like to see political aspirants be more open about cannabis on the campaign trail. “Any candidate that actually wants to get ahead – whether it's in the presidential election in Congress or state legislatures or local legislators – if they ignore this issue, it's going to be at their peril,” he said. Veronica Balderas Iglesias contributed to this report from Washington.