CAIRO — For the first time since 2006, Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah agreed to hold general elections within six months. The announcement came Sept. 24 at the conclusion of talks that took place between the two parties in Istanbul, upon Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call on his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to sponsor the Palestinian reconciliation.
The agreement was met with official Egyptian silence, knowing that Cairo has been the one sponsoring and leading Palestinian reconciliation efforts for years. Egyptian media outlets close to the authorities condemned the agreement, accusing Hamas of implementing Turley’s plan to control the West Bank through its sponsorship of the Palestinian reconciliation.