Turkey and Palestine in talks for humanitarian aid for Gaza Strip

Sevil Erkuş ANKARA

The anti-capitalist Muslims group holds an iftar dinner in front of the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, July 10

The Turkish government and Palestinian authorities are in talks for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip as Israeli jets continue to pound the enclave.Parties discuss ways to deliver aid through either Egypt or Israel, officials told the Hürriyet Daily News.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will pay a visit to Turkey on July 18 and meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as part of efforts to raise awareness in the international community over the Israeli assault on his people.The Turkish government confirmed readiness to provide urgent medical and food aid to Gaza Strip, according to officials from Palestinian Embassy in Ankara. The embassy and Turkish officials are currently coordinating their efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip as soon as possible.The Embassy of the State of Palestine also announced that they have been coordinating with a number of Turkish non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions, and have organized some demonstrations in Ankara and Istanbul against the Israeli offensive.“It is also expected that next week several Turkish cities will witness bigger rallies condemning the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip,” a written statement from the embassy said. The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) also provided food and medical aid to Gaza worth of $1 million, Anadolu Agency reported.