Turkish Consul-General in Jerusalem Mustafa Sarnic has reaffirmed his country's support for the new Palestinian national unity government of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.
"We come today to congratulate the unity government," Sarnic told a press conference in Gaza City following a meeting with Gaza-based government ministers.
The diplomat asserted that Turkish support for the Palestinians would continue, citing earlier contributions made by the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) and the Turkish Red Crescent.
He also noted the recent resumption of work on a planned Turkish-Palestinian hospital in the Gaza Strip after Israeli authorities allowed the entry of needed building materials into the besieged coastal enclave.
The construction process could take one year if construction materials are freely allowed into the strip, said Sarnic, adding that, once complete, the $35-million hospital facility would be one of the largest in Gaza.
The new Palestinian unity government was unveiled late last month in line with a reconciliation deal signed in April between rival factions Fatah and Hamas.
The new government was sworn in on June 2. But government ministers hailing from the Gaza Strip were prevented by Israeli authorities from entering the West Bank for the swearing-in ceremony.
The 18-minister cabinet is mandated with running Palestinian affairs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank until legislative polls can be held in the Palestinian territories later this year.
By Nour Abu Aisha
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
