Fatah leader in Turkey ahead of UN vote

Fatah leader Nabil Shaath met Tuesday with senior Turkish officials to discuss the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah's bid for membership at the UN, officials said. Shaath held a series of discussions as a special envoy for President Mahmoud Abbas in talks about the September bid in the UN, Israel's blockade on Gaza and a UN report criticizing Turkey and Israel. Shaath described the talks as deep and positive. He said the visit included passing along Abbas' thanks for its support for the Palestinian cause and its efforts to declare a Palestinian state in the UN. Turkey is working hard on the UN issue as it promised President Abbas during a conference for Palestinian ambassadors in July. Palestinian and Turkish officials have agreed to hold intensive meetings in New York, he said. Abbas, Shaath, President Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the UN bid, he said. Both sides have agreed to challenge a UN report criticizing Turkey for its support for the Gaza-bound aid flotilla that came under attack by Israeli commandos in May. They will take the issue to the International Criminal Court, he said, because the findings of the report "legitimized" Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip. Shaath is headed next to Brussels to meet EU officials ahead of the UN meeting.