Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded an apology from Palestinian President Mahmut Abbas for not responding to an invitation to speak in the Turkish parliament, TRT Haber reports.
"I am sorry that Mr. Abbas did not speak in parliament, although we invited him. He should also apologize to us. We are waiting to see if he will be able to come [to Turkey]," Erdogan said.
Mahmoud Abbas is the President of Palestine and the leader of the largest political party in the state — Fatah (Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine). The movement defines the policy of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which controls the West Bank.
Abbas was invited to address the Turkish parliament on July 24. On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the American Congress.
On July 27, Abbas's visit to Moscow was announced in the Kremlin.
"This visit is being prepared. We are waiting for him and will announce the dates of this visit in a timely manner," said Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president. According to a RIA Novosti source in the office of the Palestinian leader, Abbas will arrive in Russia on August 18.