Amid Rift With Erdogan, Turkish Parliament Extends New Invitation to PA Leader Mahmoud Abbas

Latest Developments

Days after Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas sparked the ire of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by turning down an invitation to address the Turkish parliament, the visit appears to be back on. Parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmus told the state-owned Anadolu news agency on July 31 that “[I]f there are no issues, we will invite Mr. Abbas to the Turkish Parliament General Assembly and he will explain the Palestinian cause in front of lawmakers,” Reuters reported. Abbas initially declined the invitation to protest Turkey’s increasingly close alignment with Hamas — a bitter rival of the Fatah-dominated PA — causing Erdogan to exclaim on July 28, “Mahmoud Abbas, who didn’t show up despite our invitation to address the parliament, owes us an apology.” The Turkish leader then added: “Let’s see if he’ll agree to come now.” According to Al-Monitor, Faed Mustafa, the PA’s representative in Ankara, stepped in to defuse tensions following Erdogan’s comment, expressing appreciation for Turkey’s “unswerving support” for the Palestinians.

Abbas is now expected to travel to Turkey on August 14, where he will meet with Erdogan before delivering an address to Turkish parliamentarians the next day, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said. The visit comes on the heels of Erdogan’s furious reaction to the killing on July 31 of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a presumed Israeli attack on Tehran, where he attended the inauguration of the Islamic Republic’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Expert Analysis

“Erdogan could have hosted Abbas at any point in the past if he truly believed the Palestinian Authority was the legitimate representative of Palestinians. Instead, he has spared no effort in promoting his personal ties with and admiration of Hamas’s leadership, championing their terrorist cause. Only months ago, Erdogan proudly hosted Haniyeh in Istanbul, and only days ago, he threatened to invade Israel.” — Sinan Ciddi, FDD non-resident Senior Fellow

“Hamas has increasingly overshadowed Mahmoud Abbas and his party both within the Palestinian territories and on the international stage. Furthermore, it is well known that Turkish President Erdogan is a staunch supporter of Hamas. Given this context, it is predictable that Abbas would express frustration over Turkey’s lack of support for the Palestinian Authority by initially rejecting the offer to address the Turkish parliament.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Turkish Backing for Hamas Grows Stronger

Erdogan’s strongly-worded condemnation of the “perfidious assassination” in Tehran of his close ally and “brother” Haniyeh reflects the close ties that have developed between Ankara and Hamas over the last two decades. Erdogan regards Hamas as a key ally in Turkey’s rivalry with Israel, offering the group diplomatic, logistical, and military support. Since the atrocities Hamas committed in southern Israel on October 7, Ankara has lauded Hamas as a resistance group and accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. Turkey has served as a safe haven for Hamas leadership since 2011, among them Haniyeh himself, who lived part-time in Turkey and held a Turkish passport. After a meeting in Istanbul between Erdogan and Haniyeh in April, mainstream press outlets reported that Hamas was eyeing Turkey as the new location of its political headquarters in place of Qatar, which currently hosts the leaders of the Iran-backed terrorist organization.

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has stated that Israel “pulled the trigger” for a new regional war with the assassination of Haniyeh, emphasizing its commitment to the “righteous struggle of Palestinians.” The latest escalation of rhetoric comes only days after Erdogan threatened to invade Israel to stop their offensive in Gaza.

Related Analysis 

“Hamas Chief Meets Turkish President, Considers Move From Qatar to Turkey,” FDD Flash Brief

“Turkey Threatens to Invade Israel,” by Sinan Ciddi and Sophia Epley

“Israel Foils Hamas Terror Attack Directed by Turkey,” FDD Flash Brief