Turkish president meets Abbas, calls for urgent actions on Gaza

An independent Palestinian state should be founded on its own territory in order to achieve a permanent peace in the region, Turkish President Abdullah Gul told a joint press conference with Abbas following their meeting at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara.

Gul said Turkish public reacted against the developments that took place in Gaza, and the Turkish government, as the representative of the public, exerted efforts in order to put an end to the ongoing crisis.

"I am happy that I had the chance to discuss the situation in Gaza in detail with Mr. Abbas today. We will continue to be in close contact and we will carry out our activities in a determined way from now on," Gul said, adding Turkey would keep on sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Abbas met Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara late on Friday. The two discussed the recent developments in Israel-Palestinian conflict and progress in Gaza truce talks in their meeting.

MEETING WITH ERDOGAN

Erdogan and Abbas also hold a "comprehensive discussion" on the process to clinch a deal between two rival Palestinian fractions, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Saturday.

"In the meeting, the current developments in the Palestinian-Israel conflict and as a result steps that could be taken to ensure a permanent truce in Gaza, the latest efforts to secure unity among Palestinian groups were reviews thoroughly," the statement was quoted as saying by the state-run Anatolian Agency.

Ankara has repeatedly stressed that ending hostilities between the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Abbas's West Bank-based Fatah movement is critical if the Palestinian desire for statehood is to be realized.

"Prime Minister Erdogan and President Abbas agreed that Turkey should maintain its contributions to efforts to ensure a sustainable cease-fire, to dispatch of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to Egypt-led negotiations to provide national compromise in Palestine. They also reiterated their determination to work together in an influential way," it added.

Turkey assumed an active diplomatic role during the recent war in Gaza, acting as a mediator between exiled Hamas leaders and Egyptian officials who sought a ceasefire deal.

Erdogan strongly criticized Israel, a close ally of Turkey, during the 22-day offensive. Last week he stormed out from a heated debate on the issue at an international forum in Switzerland after clashing with Israeli President Shimon Peres.