Turkey's Erdogan meets with Palestinian leader Abbas ahead of speech to parliament

AP:  ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for talks that focused on the conflict in Gaza, Erdogan’s office said, ahead of a planned address to parliament Thursday.

Erdogan’s office said late Wednesday that the two discussed “the massacres committed by Israel in Palestinian territories” and “the steps that need to be taken for a permanent cease-fire and peace” at the presidential palace in Ankara.

The statement, released on the social media platform X, said Erdogan pledged continued support to “Palestine’s just cause” and to work to “increase the pressure on Israel by the international community … especially the Islamic world” to deliver humanitarian aid and bring peace.

Abbas arrived Wednesday for a visit that comes as the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh fueled concerns of the war spreading across the Middle East. Erdogan, a prominent supporter of Hamas and the wider Palestinian cause, invited Abbas after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United States Congress in July. The Palestinian leader is due to speak at a special session of lawmakers Thursday in Ankara.

In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas a terrorist organization, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation movement. He also hosted Haniyeh in Turkey on several occasions.

Abbas, who is based in Ramallah in the West Bank, is president of the Palestinian Authority, which has largely been sidelined since the war in Gaza started when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel in October, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages.

Abbas is also chair of the Fatah party, which has a long-running rift with Hamas. Electoral success for Hamas in Gaza in 2006 was followed by a brief armed conflict with Fatah fighters.

In addition to backing Hamas, Erdogan has been a leading critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide and likening Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza. On Aug. 7, Turkey filed a request with a United Nations court to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel.

The Turkish president has criticized Western nations for backing Israel and has called for its leaders to be punished in international courts.

Haniyeh’s death two weeks ago in Iran by a presumed Israeli strike, which came shortly after a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in Lebanon, has seen regional tensions soar as leaders watch for an expected Iranian response to the targeting of its allies.

Shortly before Abbas’ arrival, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Jeffry Flake said Washington was seeking the help of Turkey and other governments with friendly ties to Tehran to de-escalate the situation.

“Turkey can talk to groups that we cannot talk to regarding the situation in Gaza,” he was reported as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency late Wednesday. “We encourage our interlocutors and partners here to make an effort to reduce tensions where they can.”