The Palestinian Authority presented a medal to Bülent Korkmaz, the former Palestine coordinator of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), for the state-run agency's work for Palestinians.

Korkmaz, who worked in the region for four years, was presented with the award at a ceremony in Ankara yesterday. Palestinian Ambassador Faed Mustafa presented the medal on behalf of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and praised the agency's work to "relieve the burden of the Palestinian people." The ambassador said the Turkish agency has been a leading institution working for the good of Palestine. "It has been behind countless projects to assist Palestinian people and we are grateful for that to the agency and Turkey."

Bülent Korkmaz said the medal was for Turkey, the Turkish nation and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who backed the Palestinian cause like "their own cause."