President Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara this week to discuss Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The meeting comes amid heightened tensions in the region following Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

The talks are set to take place on Tuesday, as confirmed by the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki, during a diplomatic forum in Türkiye over the weekend. The discussions will focus on recent developments in Gaza, as well as the situation in the West Bank.

Türkiye has been outspoken in its criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, supporting measures to bring charges of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Despite its strong stance, Ankara has not been directly involved in ceasefire negotiations.

NATO member Türkiye, unlike many Western countries and some Gulf states, does not classify Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group governing Gaza, as a terrorist organization. Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel triggered the current conflict, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The diplomatic sources noted that Türkiye has been coordinating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza with Egypt since the onset of Israel’s attacks. Humanitarian aid operations are expected to be a key topic in Erdogan’s discussions with Abbas. (ILKHA)