Uncle Abdul Seeks Greater Gaza Role for His Palestinian Authority

President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority traveled to Turkey this weekend for talks with Turkey’s prime minister and other officials on the way forward after the three-week war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Turkey has been closely involved in talks on the conflict there, particularly with Hamas. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey was close to securing the release of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas in 2006.

But there was no mention of Corporal Shalit after talks on Saturday in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where Mr. Abbas and President Abdullah Gul of Turkey gave a televised news conference.

Mr. Abbas is part of Fatah, a rival faction to Hamas that was ousted from Gaza in a brief civil war in June 2007. Israel intensified economic sanctions on Gaza after that.

He was on a tour of several foreign capitals this week, including Cairo, Paris and Ankara, seeking support for a renewed presence for his faction in rebuilding Gaza.