President Abbas meets Turkish counterpart Erdogan in Ankara

ANAKARA: President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday evening met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex in Ankara. During the meeting, President Abbas briefed his Turkish counterpart on the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, with focus on the ongoing Israeli genocidal aggression inflicted by Israel on the defenceless civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, along with complete devastation of infrastructure. He reaffirmed Palestine's position calling for an immediate ceasefire to stop the bloodshed of defenceless innocents, full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, a cessation of all Israeli assaults in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and encroachments upon the holy sites in Jerusalem. He also reiterated Palestine's position calling for the need to stop strangling the Palestinian economy and release all Palestinian tax revenues as a prelude to returning to the political track based on the United Nations resolution and i nternational law in accordance with the two-state solution to bring an end to the Israeli occupation of the territories of the State of Palestine and realize Palestinian statehood, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He stressed the importance for the international community to oblige Israel, the occupying power, to comply with the UN resolutions and international law, implement the rulings of international courts, including the ICJ ruling, support Palestine's bid for full and equal membership of the United Nations and convene an international peace conference, thereby giving hope to the Palestinian people that the international community is serious about safeguarding remaining prospects for the realization of the two-state solution, which is being systematically and deliberately destroyed by successive Israeli governments. He thanked his Turkish counterpart for the latter's country's position in support of the Palestinian people and the just Palestinian question in international forums, with such support r ecently manifest in Trkiye's decision to submit a declaration of intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza. He stressed his keen interest in further developing the historic bilateral Palestinian-Turkish relations that are based on brotherhood and cooperation. For his part, the Turkish President reiterated his country's position in support of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and independence and the establishment of their independent state. An expanded meeting was also held between the Palestinian and Turkish delegations. The Palestinian delegation included Hussein al-Sheikh, the Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Majed Faraj, head of intelligence, Mahmoud al-Habbash, President Mahmoud Abbas' Advisor for Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations and Majdi Al-Khalidi, Advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas for Diplomatic Affairs. So urce: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA