Davutoglu: Fatah and Hamas leaders want ‘normalization of relations with Israel’

The Turkish Foreign Minister stressed that the resumption of full-fledged diplomatic relations with Israel does not mean that Turkey will change its policy in the Middle East and make concessions on the Palestinian issue at the moment when Ankara receives the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. The visit of the Palestinian leader, who met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, comes a week after Turkey and Israel announced a full restoration of relations between them and the return of ambassadors to the two countries. “Our normalization of relations does not mean that Turkey will make concessions on the Palestinian issue,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. And he added in an interview with the private Turkish channel Haber Global that “the dialogue must continue, even if you do not agree on all issues.” Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, and the latter did the same in 2018 after the deaths of Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza. Analysts say Mahmoud Abbas’s visit could be an opportunity for Turkey to reaffirm its support for its allies. According to Cavusoglu, Palestinian leaders, “whether from Fatah or Hamas, want us to normalize our relations with Israel.” “They say it’s important to them too… This dialogue will serve the Palestinian cause,” he added.