AKP says Abbas planning visit to Türkiye

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party has said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is planning to visit Türkiye, without specifying a particular timeframe.

Abbas could not accept Ankara’s invitation due to health issues, AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik said during a press conference on July 29 in the capital Ankara.

The Palestinian leader is planning to pay a visit on “another date,” Çelik said.

This statement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip expressed his expectation for an apology from Abbas after he declined an invitation to visit Türkiye and address the Turkish parliament.

"Some political parties in my country say that 'the government should invite the Palestinian president to Türkiye and have him speak in parliament.' Who is telling you that we did not do that?" Erdoğan said during an event on July 27.

Turkish parliament's justice commission head Cüneyt Yüksel previously confirmed that Türkiye had invited Abbas to speak in parliament.

Erdoğan's remarks followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fiery speech to the U.S. Congress. The speech was greeted by a standing ovation and cheers from Republicans, and a more subdued reception from Democrats.

Erdoğan criticized the U.S. for hosting Netanyahu’s speech.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Ambassador to Ankara Faed Mustafa also announced that Abbas is planning an official visit to Türkiye.

Mustafa mentioned that during his visit, Abbas will meet with Erdoğan, confirming that he received an invitation from Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş to address the Turkish parliament.

Speaking to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Mustafa emphasized the strong fraternal bonds between the Palestinian Authority and Türkiye and expressed gratitude for Ankara's steadfast support for Palestinian rights.

He stated that diplomatic channels are being utilized to ensure the visit adheres to appropriate protocols and to finalize a specific date for the visit.