Erdogan and Abbas Meet in Ankara as Turkiye Deepens Its Role in Palestinian Diplomacy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday, the centrepiece of a three day official visit that presidential communications director Burhanettin Duran said would cover developments in the Palestinian territories, bilateral relations and regional issues.
Abbas arrived Tuesday at the invitation of Erdogan and was received at the airport by Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Palestine’s ambassador to Ankara, Nasri Abu Jaish. Abbas’s delegation included several senior Palestinian officials, among them Executive Committee member Ziad Abu Amr and intelligence chief Majid Faraj. Bolat said on social media that Turkiye would continue working to strengthen political, economic and humanitarian ties with the Palestinian people, adding that Turkiye would remain by their side until Palestinian freedom, independence and territorial integrity are secured.
The visit follows a period of heightened Turkish involvement in regional affairs, including last week’s Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and comes days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the Board of Peace’s Gaza disarmament roadmap. Turkiye has long positioned itself as a vocal supporter of Palestinian statehood, and officials say the Ankara talks are expected to include an exchange of views on the latest developments around the stalled Gaza ceasefire process.
Wednesday’s meeting is Abbas’s latest visit to Turkiye, a relationship that has included previous high level exchanges between the two leaders. His visit concludes Thursday.