Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has asked his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to support the internal Palestinian reconciliation efforts and the plans for Palestinian elections.
The Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that Abbas spoke on the phone with Erdogan on Monday evening and briefed him about the latest development regarding talks currently taking place between Fatah and Hamas and the Palestinian factions as well as the pressure exerted by the United States on the Palestinians.
During the call, Abbas requested Turkey’s assistance to hold elections by sending observers to monitor the electoral process.
Earlier this month, the Palestinian factions agreed to end internal division and “consolidate the principle of peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections, according to proportional representation”.
Abbas also thanked his Turkish counterpart for the contacts he made with the presidents of Serbia and Kosovo urging them not to open embassies or offices in Jerusalem.
Concerns over world inaction toward Israeli occupation
Despite the reluctance of the international community to take action against Israeli occupation, Qatar and Turkey continue to urge U.N. members to unite in support of the Palestinian cause
The illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza, has become one of the core issues addressed at this year’s United Nation’s meeting as the international community is still reluctant to take action against Israel for its permanent occupation and serious violations of international law.
As one of the main countries that have maintained a clear position on the Palestinian cause, Turkey has long called on the international community to unite against Israeli occupation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Israel’s “oppression, violence and intimidation” policies toward Palestine during his Tuesday address at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).
“The dirty hand that reaches the privacy of Jerusalem, where the sacred places of the three great religions coexist, is constantly increasing its audacity,” Erdogan said. “The Palestinian people have stood up against Israel’s policies of oppression, violence and intimidation for more than half a century.”
“Upon rejection of the document of surrender, which was to be imposed on Palestine under the name of the ‘deal of the century,’ Israel this time accelerated its attempts to ‘have the inside track’ with the help of its collaborators,” he added, referring to a U.S. backchannel plan to reach a peace settlement between Palestinians and Israel that aims to establish a Palestinian state in Gaza only.
Despite the international consensus that the Palestinian cause is justified, the international community is helpless in the face of Israeli intransigence and persistence in occupying Palestinian territories, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said Tuesday.
