Türkiye vows to continue backing Palestinian cause

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday vowed to continue supporting the Palestinian cause and increase the prosperity of Palestinians.

"As Türkiye, we continue to support the Palestinian cause in the strongest way possible. We are deeply concerned about the violence of illegal settlers," Erdogan said during a news conference with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan and Abbas held one-on-one talks at the presidential complex to discuss bilateral relations, the Palestine-Israel issue, and other regional and international developments.

"We cannot tolerate any acts attempting to change the historical status quo of holy places, particularly the al-Aqsa Mosque. The unity and reconciliation of the Palestinians are key elements in this process," he added.

It is important for the international community, particularly the UN, to be engaged in Palestinian issue, Erdogan also underlined.

"Establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital within the 1967 borders based on UN parameters is essential for the peace and stability of our entire region," he stressed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also expected to visit Türkiye this week, but the trip was postponed after he had unscheduled surgery over the weekend.

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.