Palestinians to press Turkish foreign minister on halting Israeli ‘escalation’

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will ask visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu to pressure Israel “to cease all forms of escalation,” says senior PA diplomat Ahmad al-Deek.

“The message to the Israeli side will be: cease all forms of escalation in the conflict, whether it’s the army’s incursions or shooting incidents, attacks by settlers, or raids at Al-Aqsa and the Flag March,” says al-Deek, a political adviser to PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki is also set to meet with his Turkish counterpart this afternoon before Çavuşoğlu’s tete-a-tete with Abbas.

Al-Deek says Çavuşoğlu’s visit marks the first time a Turkish foreign minister has come to visit the Palestinian Authority.

Turkey and Israel have been undergoing a rapprochement in recent months as Ankara seeks to break out of its increasing regional isolation. Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Turkey March and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

While Ramallah has blasted other regional states for normalizing relations with Israel, the PA has taken a more relaxed approach on Turkey’s blooming Israel ties.
“I do not believe that Turkish-Israeli relations with negatively impact [the Palestinians]. Quite the opposite: the Turkish position in support of the Palestinians will have a positive impact,” al-Deek says.