Gaza, July 18: Acting Palestinian Authority Chief says Israel has failed to fulfill its obligations for international agreements but Palestinians are loyal to the Middle East peace plan.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel has rejected a solution based on the coexistence of two independent states and also refused to halt its settlement activities in the Palestinian territory.
Abbas added that the Palestinians, on the other hand, fulfilled the international obligations and were loyal to the Middle East peace plan.
In an obvious defiance to international and US calls for freezing the construction of settlements in the Palestinian land, Israel has announced the construction of hundreds of new Jewish homes in the territory.
Abdullah Gul Friday cast doubt on a European Union call for a deadline for the creation of a Palestinian state, warning such a move could be counter-productive.
He reiterated Turkey’s support for an independent Palestinian state.
“But we believe that any efforts to achieve that without the consent of the main players will not be of any use, and can even be harmful,” Gul told the joint press conference.
He said Turkey, which currently holds a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, “will do its best” for the creation of Palestinian state “on condition that a compromise is secured.”
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said last week that a deadline should be set for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said that if the two sides fail to meet it, the Security Council should proclaim a Palestinian state under a settlement backed by the international community.
Abbas arrived in Turkey for a two-day official visit on Thursday.
During Abbas’ visit, a new Palestinian embassy building funded by the
Turkish state was opened in Ankara Friday.
Recently, Turkey has sought an active role in Middle East affairs, including efforts to bridge the gap between Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas as long as mediation of four rounds of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria. It has also offered to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians.
—–Agencies