We appreciate Turkey's support with UN and ceasefire: Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Turkey is their main partner on the Palestinian issue, and the two countries are always in consultation regarding the political developments and crisis, during a joint statement Friday with Turkish President Abdullah Gül in Ankara.

'We appreciate Turkey's help for Palestine, especially for UN membership and reconciliation among Palestinian groups,' Abbas said.

Abbas added that Egypt's ceasefire initiative was dependent upon the Palestinian government's request and it was almost the same as the one that took place in 2012. The initiative requires a ceasefire, formal meetings and submission of reciprocal demands. 'Israel accepted the ceasefire; now we also have to accept it to distress Israel,' he said.

ISRAEL DOESN'T WANT A UNITED PALESTINE

Thanks to Turkey for efforts in supporting Palestine on the UN membership issue, Abbas claimed that Israel didn't want a united Palestine. 'Israel doesn't want us to be a member of the UN or any other international platform and creates excuses to stop us from becoming an independent state,' he said.

'We want to have our own independent state, as other nations have. We are subjected to destruction every two years.'

Abbas pointed out that Palestine and Turkey had a common stance over the issue.

President Gül also stated that the priority for Turkey was the ceasefire and a sustainable consensus like the 2012 agreement between the two countries that would end up with a permanent solution. He added that Israel should stop the land, air and sea strikes and that the bloodshed of innocent Palestinian kids should end.