Ankara congratulates Abbas on Palestinian election win

Turkey has sent a message of congratulations to Mahmud Abbas, the chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, on his victory in last Sunday’s elections.

In a statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry Monday, Ankara also repeated its willingness to assist in any way to restart the stalled Middle East peace process.
“Turkey is very much pleased that the Palestinian people determined their leader through democratic means and that the elections were peaceful,” the statement said. “We see the elections also as an important stage on the path to the revival of the long-stalled peace process within the framework of the roadmap.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul visited both Israel and Palestine last week, only days before the election to find a replacement for the late Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat. During the visit, Gul said that Turkey was prepared to use its good relations with all parties in the region to assist in reinvigorating the peace process.