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Ankara welcomes the Palestinian president after the normalization of relations with Israel

THE restoration of diplomatic relations with Israel does not mean that Turkey is changing its policy regarding the Middle East, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu assured, as Ankara prepares to welcome Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The visit by Abbas, who will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara this evening, comes a week after it was announced that Turkey and Israel would restore full diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors.

“The fact that we are normalizing our relations does not mean that Turkey will make concessions on the Palestinian issue,” Cavusoglu said.

“The dialogue must continue, even if we don’t agree on everything,” the Turkish minister added during an interview with private TV network Haber Global.

The two countries had recalled their ambassadors in 2018 after the deaths of Palestinian protesters in Gaza.

According to analysts, the Palestinian president’s visit may be an opportunity for Turkey to show that it still supports its allies.

Erdogan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, has in the past criticized Israel’s policy towards them.

With less than a year to go before presidential elections scheduled for mid-June 2023, he has stepped up efforts to normalize Turkey’s relations with several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, seeking investment and tourists. .

As part of the normalization of their bilateral relations, direct flights between Turkey and Israel will also be restored.

According to Cavusoglu, the Palestinian leaders “of both Fatah and Hamas want the normalization of our relations with Israel.”

“They tell us that it is important for them too (…) This dialogue will be beneficial for the defense of the Palestinian cause,” he underlined.

Source: RES-MPE

Source: Capital

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