Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara on Wednesday to exchange in-depth views on the latest developments in the Palestine-Israel conflict, bilateral relations, and other issues of common concern.
During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed the traditional friendship between Türkiye and Palestine and discussed ways to deepen cooperation in various fields.
Türkiye will continue to defend the Palestinian cause in the strongest possible way on every platform, Erdogan said, calling for necessary conditions to be established as soon as possible to launch reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
Abbas expressed high appreciation for Türkiye's firm stance in defending the legitimate rights and interests of the Palestinian people on various international occasions, as well as his gratitude to Türkiye for providing humanitarian aid to Gaza and medical treatment for wounded Palestinians.
He hailed the latest Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan, describing it as an important strategic step to strengthen regional security and stability.
Abbas briefed Erdogan on the situation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, accusing Israel of settlement expansion, land seizures, home demolitions, arrests, and provocations at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City, which have led to a dangerous escalation of the situation.
Although various parties have announced the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Israel continues its blockade and military operations in the enclave, resulting in a persistent humanitarian crisis and casualties in the region, Abbas said.
Abbas reiterated that Gaza is an inseparable part of the Palestinian state, and there can be no state without Gaza.
He emphasized that a future Palestinian state must operate under a centralized governance model defined by one state, one law, one legitimate institution, and one legitimate armed force.
Abbas arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for a two-day official visit.
The visit comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday formally rejected the U.S.-backed 15-point plan for ending the Gaza conflict, insisting that Israel will not withdraw its forces from the enclave until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Erdogan meets Abbas in Ankara, reaffirms support for Palestine
As rescue teams are racing against time to search for survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Colombia on Monday, medical workers, medical students and volunteers in the hard-hit city of Cali have set up temporary treatment shelters near rubble sites, ready to provide immediate medical treatment to the survivors pulled from the debris.
In a southern Cali neighborhood, a field medical tent has been set up, where students from local medical schools laid out mattresses and stocked supplies and medicines. Also, ambulances have been coordinated and are on standby to receive injured people rescued from nearby rubble sites.
"Our main task is to stand by for updates from the search-and-rescue teams working in the ruins. Once they notify us that trapped people with signs of life have been located, we will move in, extract them, and immediately provide them with preliminary medical treatment. After their condition is stabilized, they will be transferred by ambulance. At present, all medical equipment and personnel are fully prepared and ready," said Carlos Medina, a director of emergency response at one of the sites.
According to Medina, roughly 30 to 40 medical workers are deployed at this location and they are divided into four teams. The groups include specialist doctors, emergency responders and nurses, as well as medical students from several universities in Cali. In addition to preparing to treat the injured, the students are helping maintain order at the scene.
"We're trying to get people out while keeping everything ready here to help them. We have medicines, gauze and whatever is needed to provide first aid to those who need it. We're also helping people avoid heatstroke as the temperature here is very high," said Ana Maria Herrera, a medical student from the Cali Campus of Xavierian Pontifical University.
Medical teams at the site said supplies of medical materials, drinking water, food and rescue tools are currently sufficient, with much of the support coming from spontaneous donations by residents of Cali, helping sustain the ongoing search-and-rescue and medical operations.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said Wednesday the death toll from Monday's earthquake had risen to 265, with 3,494 people injured and 496 others still missing.
More than 11,000 homes were destroyed nationwide and over 53,000 people were affected by the disaster, added the Colombian president.
Field clinics set up beside rubble to treat injured after Colombia quake
