Erdogan receives Haniyeh

Prime Minister Erdogan's first foreign guest of the new year was Gaza Strip's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Haniyeh and Erdogan met in the Turkish prime minister's residence in Istanbul and the meeting lasted two and a half hours. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Health Minister Recep Akdag also arrived in the residence prior to meeting, during which the leaders discussed the reconciliation progress between Hamas and Fatah and Erdogan expressed hope that Palestinians will have "an umbrella organization that will offer significant and democratic representation to all political groups." Turkey was the last stop of Haniyeh's first regional tour since 2007. Haniyeh will also visit Mavi Marmara ship and the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH), come together with families of victims of the Mavi Marmara operation and hold a press conference and evaluate the developments.