Ankara, July 17: The Acting Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Ankara to hold talks with Turkish officials about the Middle East peace effort.
Abbas arrived in the Turkish capital for a two-day official visit on Thursday.
He was greeted at Esenboga Airport by the Palestinian Ambassador to Ankara, Nabil Maarouf, Turkish foreign ministry officials as well as Ambassadors from some Arab states.
Abbas met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan late on Thursday and is expected to have talks with President Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday.
He will also participate in an inauguration ceremony for the new Palestinian Embassy building in Ankara.
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