Palestinian president in Ankara to discuss stalled peace process

Turkish Foreign Ministry officials met Abbas at the airport. Turkish news networks said Abbas has come to Turkey to discuss stalled peace talks with Turkish officials at a time when reports claim Israel and Turkey are in secret talks to mend ties and reconcile.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Barack Obama also discussed the Middle East peace process over the phone late on Monday, the White House and Turkish Prime Ministry said.

Peace talks broke down last September with the expiration of an Israeli moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank. The Palestinians have refused to negotiate without a new one, while Israel is demanding talks without preconditions.

The Turkish Presidency issued a statement on Tuesday that Abbas will have talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gül, Prime Minister Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

The statement also said the talks will cover bilateral relations between Turkey and Palestine, the situation in Palestine after a national reconciliation and the latest developments in the region, particularly the Middle East peace process.