Meetıng with Abbas, Gul calls independent palestine a must for mideast peace

Palestine must become its own independent nation in order for peace to prevail in the Middle East, President Abdullah Gul said yesterday, following a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas. Concluding a two-day visit to Ankara, Abbas spoke with Turkish officials about Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and regional developments. In a joint press conference with Abbas after their meeting, Gul said they had had a valuable exchange about the Middle East and protecting Palestine's national unity. Gul stressed that the establishment of an independent Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is crucial for achieving peace in the region. "We announced our strong support in September when (Palestinian-Israeli) peace talks restarted," he said. "In order to improve the living standards of the 1.5 million people in Gaza, the blockade must be lifted, and Israel must adopt new policies so aid can easily reach there." Gul added that Turkey's close cooperation and solidarity with Palestine, and social and economic support and aid there, will continue.