Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hosted Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas and stated that Turkey did not and will not remain silent against the “Israeli oppression” of Palestinian Arabs.
During a closed-door meeting at the Vahdettin Pavilion in Istanbul, Erdogan and Abbas discussed regional developments and steps to strengthen bilateral ties, Turkey's Communications Directorate said, according to the Anadolu news agency.
Erdogan stressed that peace and stability in the region will not be possible as long as “the Israeli occupation” continues, saying Turkey did not and will not remain silent about Israel's atrocities in “Palestine”.
Erdogan and Abbas had a one-on-one meeting that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes, followed by another meeting also attended by delegations for over an hour, according to Anadolu.
While Israel and Turkey have diplomatic relations, those relations have been strained in recent years as Erdogan, who is a strong advocate of Palestinian Arab rights, has frequently criticized Israel.
The two countries signed a comprehensive reconciliation deal in 2016, ending a six-year diplomatic standoff following a violent encounter between Israeli soldiers and Islamist radicals on a ship attempting to break through the security blockade on Gaza.
Even since the signing of that agreement, the Islamist Turkish President has continued his verbal attacks on Israel.
In the past, Erdogan has accused Israel of being a “terrorist state”, and called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “terrorist”, after IDF forces opened fire on infiltrators during a Hamas-led confrontation on the Israel-Gaza border.
He also stated that his country will oppose anyone who supports Israel and that Turkey will continue to promote the Palestinian cause regardless of efforts to undermine it mainly by supporters of the Israeli regime.