Türkiye shares a centuries long joint history and has close cultural and social bonds with the Palestinian people.

Türkiye established official relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1975 and was one of the first countries that recognized the Palestinian State established in exile on 15 November 1988.

Moreover, Türkiye attached importance to her relationship with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) which was established in 1996 within the framework of the Oslo-I (1993) and Oslo-II Agreements (1995), as well as the cooperation that was focused on improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people. Türkiye supports the efforts of the State of Palestine to be recognized as a state in international forums. In this context, Türkiye actively backed the State of Palestine in its bid for membership to UNESCO in 2011. Moreover, Palestine’s upgrade of status to a “non-member observer state” at the UN on 29 November 2012 by the overwhelming support of the members of the UN, including Türkiye, constituted a landmark in the recognition of Palestine as a state.

The total amount of assistance provided to Palestine directly from government to government or indirectly through international organizations like the UNRWA and the WFP since 1995 is well over US$ 300 million. This figure includes Türkiye’s assistance in goods or in cash to Palestine in a wide spectrum of fields including, but not limited to development, health, education, public finance, institution building, security, tourism as well as agriculture.

In line with the growing role of Türkiye in this field, Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) has opened a branch in Ramallah in May 2005, with a view to ensuring more effective and on site coordination of Türkiye’s development assistance. Türkiye provides assistance to the Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and participates in the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH).

Türkiye believes that the peace process can be successful only if it is complemented with an economic dimension. In this regard, the daily lives of the Palestinians have to be improved and a viable and sustainable socio-economic infrastructure of a future Palestinian state should be established. This is an ethical and humanitarian mission for the whole international community. Within this framework, Türkiye announced a comprehensive economic and social action plan for Palestine in December 2003. This plan is coordinated by the Coordinator for Economic and Social Cooperation with Palestine.

Yet another initiative of Türkiye is the Ankara Forum (Ankara Forum for Economic Cooperation Between Palestine, Israel and Türkiye). This Forum was inaugurated by the presidents of the Trade Chambers of Türkiye, Israel and Palestine. The first ever meeting of the Ankara Forum was hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) on 27 April 2005. As the Forum reinforced mutual trust among the parties, it embarked upon projects aimed at the rehabilitation/establishment of industrial zones in Palestine.

The Forum’s first such project was the rehabilitation of the industrial zone in Erez in the Gaza Strip. Due to the developments on the ground, it was decided to realize the project in Jenin and a memorandum of understanding between TOBB/BIS and Palestinian side was signed on 19 November 2013.

Türkiye supports actively the efforts of the State of Palestine for reform. In this context, Turkish experts participated in the constitutional and administrative reform process. In addition to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye has been offering a special education programme since 2004, in the framework of which a number of young Palestinian diplomats find the opportunity for professional training.

Commercial and economical relations between Türkiye and the State of Palestine have steadily gained ground since the Free Trade Agreement signed in 2004.

Türkiye supports a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1515, the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map that would ensure two states living side by side within secure and recognized borders.

Türkiye is concerned with the ongoing division in Palestine since June 2007. Türkiye encourages for national reconciliation and also calls on the international community for taking a constructive attitude that would focus on a national agreement rather than separation and isolation.