Erdogan and Abbas hold meeting in Ankara to discuss Palestinian statehood

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara on August 12-13, 2026, to discuss the ongoing conflict in the region. During a joint press conference, Erdogan accused the Netanyahu administration of deliberately fueling chaos and conflict to remove the Palestinian issue from the global agenda. He reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to supporting the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Erdogan strongly opposed any changes to the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other sacred sites. Citing United Nations data, he noted that approximately 3,800 to 4,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank throughout 2026 due to settler violence, house demolitions, and evacuations, with nearly 100 individuals killed. Regarding the Gaza Strip, the Turkish president criticized Israel's ongoing aggressive stance and called for urgent reconstruction efforts to ensure security in the area.

Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that a just peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation. Both leaders pledged to continue working through international forums to advocate for the Palestinian cause, despite what they described as the intransigent behavior of the current Israeli government.