International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 8 Jun 2010

A senior official with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah complained this week that Turkey’s increasing support for the Hamas terror militia which rules the Gaza Strip is harming the PA, while also criticizing Egypt’s decision to re-open the Rafah border crossing to foot traffic.

"Turkey’s policy is emboldening Hamas and undermining the Palestinian Authority," the PA official told The Jerusalem Post. "Of course we want to see the blockade lifted, but Hamas must also end its coup in the Gaza Strip and accept an Egyptian proposal for achieving reconciliation with Fatah."

He also reminded both Turkey and Egypt that the PA was in control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing before Hamas launched its violent coup in 2007. "If the Rafah border crossing is going to be reopened, that should be done in coordination with us and not with Hamas," the official insisted.

The comments came as PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas was in Istanbul on Monday, where he is reported to have voiced his concerns to Turkish leaders over their warming ties with Hamas. In response, Turkish Prime Minister Recap Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate between Hamas and the PA.

"Divisions should not continue under the current circumstances," Erdogan said. "I believe we can make peace between Hamas and Fatah." He also said that Hamas has already agreed to such talks. Until now, Egypt has been trying to broker a reconciliation pact between the two Palestinian rival factions to no avail.

Meanwhile, Erdogan once again castigated Israel for the Mavi Marmara incident last Monday. "We believe that those responsible should not be left without paying the price," Erdogan said, adding that Ankara has requested for the UN to investigate "the unlawful incident in a very transparent and firm manner."

Israel appears to be close to an agreement with the US to launch an internal investigation of the Mavi Marmara interception with the participation of one American observer and another observer from a third country yet to be decided. The Israel Defense Ministry has also appointed former national security advisor Giora Eiland to head up an investigatory team into the Gaza flotilla raid, to report back on the intelligence, operational and informational failures of the mission.

This all comes as Hamas continues to block the entry into Gaza of the humanitarian aid shipments brought by cargo vessels in the recent "Free Gaza" flotillas. The Islamist terror militia says it will only accept the aid shipments from the activists themselves, all of whom have already been deported from Israel. The aid includes a large amount of medicine that was past its expiry date, used clothing, furniture and appliances. The IDF is storing it at the Tzrifin Base near Rishon Lezion and is attempting to coordinate its transfer into Gaza through various international aid groups.

Finally, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also in Istanbul on Tuesday, where he told a cheering crowd at a major mosque that Israel is guilty of "unmatched crimes in the course of sixty some years of its history, that have been unprecedented in the history of mankind, the last of which has been invading the Gaza peace flotilla," an incident which he claimed has sounded the "death knell of the Zionist regime."

He added that Iran and Turkey are the "standard bearers of humanity and moralities" emphasizing, "everyone should know that the relations between the two countries are friendly, brotherly and deep rooted today and that the two countries would stand side-by-side till the end of the line."

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