In a significant diplomatic event, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Turkish Parliament (TBMM) on August 15, 2024, following an invitation from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The visit, which included a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan the previous evening, comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and ongoing conflict in Gaza.Abbas’s address to the TBMM was framed by Turkish officials as a counterpoint to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent speech to the U.S. Congress. AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik emphasized the symbolic importance of Abbas’s speech, stating, ‘The key to world peace is Middle East peace, and the key to Middle East peace is Palestinian peace’.During his speech, Abbas highlighted the ongoing struggles of the Palestinian people, saying, ‘I come to you from blessed Palestine and Jerusalem, bearing the message of my people who have been living through great pain since 1948. We are fighting against the Israeli occupation, defending our land, our homeland, and our sacred sites’.The Turkish government’s strong support for the Palestinian cause was evident throughout the event. TBMM President Numan Kurtulmuş opened the session by condemning what he termed as ‘massacres in Palestine’ and pledging continued support for the Palestinian people. This aligns with Turkey’s broader diplomatic efforts in the region, including recent talks with Iraqi officials on counter-terrorism and development projects.The visit and Abbas’s address to the Turkish Parliament underscore Turkey’s active role in Middle Eastern diplomacy and its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also highlights the ongoing challenges in achieving peace in the region, with both Turkish and Palestinian leaders emphasizing the need for a two-state solution and an end to the conflict in Gaza.
Key points
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Turkish Parliament, discussing the ongoing struggles of Palestinians and the need for peace.
- Turkish officials framed Abbas’s speech as a counterpoint to Netanyahu’s recent address to the U.
- The event underscores Turkey’s active role in Middle Eastern diplomacy and its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Congress, emphasizing Turkey’s support for the Palestinian cause.
Contradictions👾While most sources present the event as a planned diplomatic initiative, one source suggests that Abbas’s invitation was a last-minute decision in response to Netanyahu’s U.
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Congress speech.
This contradicts other accounts that describe it as a more deliberate, long-term plan.
