Erdogan meets Palestinian President, Hamas leader

Ankara, July 27 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a closed-door meeting with his visiting Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Ankara.

Wednesday's meeting at the presidential complex came a day after Erdogan and Abbas held one-on-one talks to discuss bilateral relations, the Palestine-Israel issue, and other regional and international developments, reports Turkey's semi-official Anadolu News Agency.

During the meeting on Wednesday, Erdogan extended his condolences for Palestinians killed in attacks by Israeli security forces and settlers, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

"Pointing out the importance of the unity and solidarity of the Palestinian people, President Erdogan stated that those who seek to undermine the peace process benefit from Palestinian division," Turkey's Communications Directorate said on Twitter after the meeting.

Erdogan underlined that his country did not accept the ongoing Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, adding that Ankara was closely monitoring developments in occupied East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

"The unity and reconciliation of the Palestinians are key elements in this process," he added

Ankara strongly supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Erdogan further stressed that the international community, especially the UN, should be engaged in the Palestinian issue.

The Palestinians had internal divisions after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million people, in 2007.

Since then, the two factions have yet to achieve reconciliation.

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