Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul Sunday, saying that any process
leading to a solution of Palestinian issues must involve Hamas as a
player.
Erdogan's comments were reported following the meeting at his home in Istanbul. Palestinian
media outlets said that Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was also present in the meeting.
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During the meeting, Erdogan referred to Israel as the
“occupier” and discussed with Haniyeh what he termed the “Judaization of
Jerusalem” and actions meant to make Arab residents flee the city, according to Palestinian media.
Haniyeh reportedly thanked Erdogan for his support of Gaza residents
during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead two years ago. Haniyeh’s visit to
Turkey follows visits to Egypt and Sudan. He is expected to meet with
leaders also in Qatar, Tunisia and Bahrain.
Erdogan also expressed support of Hamas and Fatah’s reconciliation and
said he hoped the Palestinians will establish an umbrella organization
which would democratically represent all political players among the
Palestinians.
Fatah
Central Committee member Nabil Shaath arrived in the Gaza Strip Sunday
evening as part of efforts to implement a Palestinian unity deal with
rival Hamas, Palestinian news agencies reported. The issue of
Palestinian reconciliation was the main priority of the trip, during
which he was set to discuss implementing the deal on the ground.
Also Sunday, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry announced that Israeli
and Palestinian negotiators will renew direct talks in Amman on Tuesday. This will be the
first public direct meeting between the sides in more than a year.JPost.com Staff contributed to this report.