Palestinian leader Abbas returns to Türkiye, set to meet Erdoğan
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas receives Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured), Ramallah, Palestine, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo)


Almost one year after his last visit and many developments later, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to visit Türkiye, where he will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, announced Tuesday that Abbas would embark on a three-day official visit at Erdoğan’s invitation. During their meeting, Erdoğan and Abbas will exchange views on the latest developments in Palestine, bilateral relations and regional developments, Duran added.

Palestinian media outlets reported that Abbas would arrive in Türkiye later Tuesday and brief Erdoğan on the situation in Gaza, settler attacks in the West Bank and the expansion of illegal settlements.

Abbas is known for his historic speech before the Turkish Parliament in 2024, in which he emphasized that the Palestinian people would stand tall despite Israeli strikes.

The Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023.

Despite a cease-fire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, Israel has continued its daily attacks, killing at least 1,258 people and wounding 4,139 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The second phase of Trump’s plan, which was also backed by Türkiye, envisages transferring the administration of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, deploying an international stabilization force and placing weapons under the responsibility of the National Committee for Gaza Administration under international supervision, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts.

On Sunday, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the road map agreed on with mediators and the Board of Peace to complete the second phase of Trump’s plan for Gaza.