Erdogan talks with Abbas, says he opposes Arab-Israeli normalization
Erdogan also expressed his support for holding an emergency meeting in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to reaffirm support for Palestinian interests.
By CODY LEVINETurkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) address the media at the Presidential Palace in Ankara January 12, 2015.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Turkey's President Recep Tayyib Erdogan spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on a range of issues during a phone call, in which he stressed Turkish opposition to Israeli plans to annex portions of the West Bank, support for the Palestinian cause and opposing Arab-Israeli normalization until the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported Sunday.Erdogan also expressed his support for holding an emergency meeting in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to reaffirm support for Palestinian interests, while also offering assistance in the form of medical aid to the Palestinians to help combat the spread of coronavirus.Abbas thanked Erdogan for his expression of support, in addition to congratulating the latter on the recent Turkish discovery of a large gas field in the Black Sea.The two leaders also spoke about unity efforts between Fatah, the largest faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization and the terrorist organization Hamas, which operates in the Gaza Strip. The two rival Palestinian organization have had fraught relations since the Palestinian Legislative Elections in 2006 and Hamas' subsequent violent takeover of Gaza.While Turkey maintains normalized relations with Israel since an agreement of reconciliation in 2016 due to the Gaza flotilla incident in 2010, relations have continued to sour due to Israel's strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Cyrpus and Greece, support for Kurdish independence in Iraq and US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. From Israel's perspective, relations have grown more tense due to hostile statements on "liberating" Jerusalem by Erdogan and Turkey's hosting and support of senior Hamas officials.
