News Analysis: Abbas seeks Turkey's support for fresh Palestinian bid at UN

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Turkey aimed to secure Ankara's support for a fresh bid at the United Nations to establish an independent Palestinian state and efforts to join international organizations, analysts say.

"Abbas hopes to have the support of Turkish president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) in mobilizing lobbying efforts in many capitals and at international organizations for the renewed bid to be unveiled soon," Mesut Cevikalp, a Turkish analyst, told Xinhua.

Abbas met with Erdogan in Ankara on Monday, briefing the Turkish president on Palestine's efforts to return to the UN Security Council and to join several international bodies including becoming a full member of the International Criminal Court as of April 1.

At a press conference after their meeting, Erdogan said Turkey will continue to support Palestinian people for an independent state.

In 2012, Palestine obtained a non-member observer state status at the UN, after a campaign kicked off in the Turkish capital to back the Palestinian move.

Following a landslide victory at the UN by a vote of 138-9 with 41 abstentions at the UN General Assembly, Abbas made the first foreign visit to Ankara to celebrate the successful outcome.

According to Cevikalp, the challenges are bigger this time around because of Turkey's troubled ties with many of its own allies and partners over policies on Syria, Egypt and Israel.

"Turkey's support may not mean much under these circumstances," he said.

In October, Turkey's failed to secure a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, getting only 60 out of 193 votes at the UN General Assembly, a development seen by opposition parties in Turkey as indicating an erosion of Turkey's international standing.

Turkey has also been under criticism for some time on its insistence on ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused of turning a blind eye to foreign fighters crossing into Syria via Turkey to join the extremist Islamic State (IS) and its reluctance to contribute more to the U.S.-led campaign against the IS.

Abbas has urged Erdogan to fix Turkey's troubled ties with Egypt, a leading Arab nation, which would better help the Palestinian cause.

"When Abbas visited Turkey in the summer of last year, he specifically conveyed a message that Turkey ought to normalize relations with Egypt. Erdogan promised but never delivered on that," an Arab diplomat based in the Turkish capital told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Turkey fiercely criticized the ouster of Egyptian Islamist president Mohammed Morsi and has not recognized his successor Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as legitimate.

Abbas' visit to Ankara also followed a surprise visit to Turkey by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in December, which raised tension between Turkey and the United States.

Washington has expressed concerns over Turkish ties with Hamas, listed by Washington as a terrorist organization, after Hamas leader attended a congress of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party on Dec. 27.

Abbas and Erdogan also discussed the issue of financing the Palestinian state after the Israeli government halted the transfer of some 175 million U.S. dollars in tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel's move came in response to Abbas' decision to seek Palestinian membership in international treaties and organizations, including the International Criminal Court.

Erdogan said Turkey is fulfilling its responsibilities as a donor country that pledged aid to Palestine at a Cairo conference last year.

"We are expecting the international community to provide required aid to our brothers in Gaza and other Palestinian territories. We are already fulfilling our obligation to give 200 million dollars (for rebuilding Gaza)," Erdogan said.

Abbas said the Turkish government is committed to additional aid to Palestine and that he was told that the aid will soon be delivered. Endit