GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Authorities in the Gaza Strip say they have received no information about a visit by the Turkish prime minister, reported Sunday in the Israeli press. The Hebrew-language daily Maariv said political sources confirmed Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought and received approval from Egypt's ruling military council to visit the coastal enclave on July 25 despite Israeli objections. “We have not being officially notified,” foreign minister in Gaza Muhammad Awad told Ma'an. According to Maariv, Israel tried to prevent the visit by sending a message to the Egyptian authorities, but their request was denied. Israel views the trip as a boost for Hamas, the daily reported. Two weeks ago, US congressmen met with Erdogan in Ankara and asked him to intervene and try to influence some of Hamas' positions, if he decides visits the Gaza Strip, according to the report. In Turkey, meanwhile, a parliamentary delegation headed by Hamas lawmaker Ismail Al-Ashqar arrived to Istanbul to attend a workshop on strengthening Palestinian reconciliation. The workshop focused on mediation and dialogue and comes as a follow-up for a workshop in Turkey in May organized by a Finnish institution specializing in managing international crises. In addition to Al-Ashqar, officials from Fatah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, civil society organizations and Palestinians abroad participated in the delegation. The meetings emphasized need to find a formula and mechanism that could be applied to achieve national consensus and the strengthening of Palestinian dialogue and reconciliation. |
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