Erdoğan demands apology as Abbas skips Türkiye visit

RİZE

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed his expectation for an apology from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas after he declined an invitation to visit Türkiye.

"Some political parties in my country say '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 in the northern city of Rize on July 27.

The president noted that Abbas did not come to Türkiye despite the invitation.

"Mr. Abbas, sorry but, he should first apologize to us... We are waiting, let's see if he can come," Erdoğan said.

"He may or may not come. But we are already voicing what needs to be said on behalf of the Palestinian people and our Palestinian brothers everywhere, in every meeting."

Turkish parliament's justice commission head Cüneyt Yüksel has 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.

In a high-profile visit to Washington, Netanyahu addressed the Congress on July 24 as thousands of protesters gathered near the U.S. Capitol to denounce the war, now in its ninth month.

The Israeli prime minister has signaled that a ceasefire deal could be taking shape, but he vowed to press forward with Israel’s war until he achieves “total victory.”

The speech was greeted by a standing ovation and cheers from Republicans, and a more subdued reception from Democrats.

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

“When we see those applauding the murderer of 40,000 innocents, we are worried not only for humanity but also for our own future,” he said.

“Who can guarantee that those who destroyed Gaza today will not turn their dirty eyes on Anatolia tomorrow?”

Abbas' Fatah and the militant group Hamas have agreed in Beijing to form a government together, the groups said on July 23, in the latest attempt at resolving a longstanding rivalry that looms over any potential vision for the rule of Gaza after the war with Israel.

Previous similar declarations have failed, raising doubts about whether the China-sponsored negotiations might lead to reconciliation between Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for 17 years, and Fatah, the main force in the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority that administers parts of the occupied West Bank.

The two groups issued a joint statement announcing the deal but gave no details on how or when the government would be formed, saying only that it would be done “by agreement among the factions.”

Both sides said the accord, which provided no guarantees, was only an initial step, and they promised to follow up on previous reconciliation agreements signed in 2011 and 2022.

Israel and the United States rejected the pact.

Fatah has been deeply reluctant to share power with its longtime rival. Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006. The following year, amid escalating tensions, Hamas routed forces loyal to Abbas in Gaza. It has ruled the impoverished coastal enclave ever since.