Erdogan vows to fight for a Palestinian state as Abbas praises the Mecca pact

Abbas, Erdogan ©TRT

Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed on Wednesday, August 12, Turkey's support for the creation of a Palestinian state. In Ankara, Mahmoud Abbas defended the Joint Defense Agreement of Mecca (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey) and thanked Turkey for its support. Erdogan also condemned Israeli actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and cited the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

During a joint press conference held in Ankara after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan declared that Turkey will continue to work "resolutely" for the creation of a sovereign and geographically contiguous Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on the 1967 borders. The position presented by the Turkish president places the creation of a Palestinian state as the axis of Ankara's diplomatic actions on the Palestinian issue. Erdogan stated that the existence of a sovereign Palestinian state is being affected by Israel's actions and said that the international community cannot ignore the situation.

The Turkish president also accused Benjamin Netanyahu's government of trying to remove Palestine from the international agenda. "The Netanyahu government aims to exclude Palestine from the common agenda of humanity, profiting from the chaos and new conflicts in the region," Erdogan said. He added: "They will not succeed."

Erdogan also addressed the situation of religious sites in East Jerusalem. He stated that Turkey opposes what he termed as provocations aimed at altering the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city.

The Turkish president also condemned Israel's actions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. "Supporting Palestine is a shared responsibility of all humanity, particularly the Muslim world," Erdogan declared, in statements released after the meeting.

Ankara's position was also related to the situation in Gaza, where Erdogan advocated for the creation of the necessary conditions for reconstruction and the guarantee of security for the enclave's population after the Palestinian genocide that began on October 7, 2023.

The Turkish president stated that Turkey will continue its efforts to support the Palestinian people and defend their rights. For Erdogan, any agreement that aims to establish a lasting situation in the region must preserve the perspective of creating a Palestinian state.

Abbas was in Ankara on an official visit while the Turkish government maintains its diplomatic action on the Palestinian issue and the future of Gaza. During the meeting, the Palestinian president classified the Joint Defense Agreement of Mecca, between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, as "very important" and expressed hope that the understanding would serve as a starting point for establishing stability and security in the region.

Abbas also thanked Erdogan and "sister Turkey" for their support for Palestinian rights and the Palestinian cause.