It's no love affair yet, but the relationship between Turkey and Fatah seems to be warming up.

Fatah’s branch in Turkey held its general congress March 20 in Istanbul, drawing Fatah members from various Turkish cities. The congress focused on the political situation of the Palestinian cause and stressed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ rejection of any political project that undermines national rights. The talks also called for optimizing relations between Palestinian and Turkish institutions in general.

The summit's location highlights the coordination and improved relations between Fatah and the Turkish government and Fatah leaders have made numerous trips to Turkey in recent months. Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council representing Fatah visited Turkey in January and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to address Israeli policies in Jerusalem and ways of countering the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel, despite its favorable economic relations with Ankara, has been a uniting factor between Fatah and Turkey.

Erdogan also gained popularity among Palestinians by holding an extraordinary Islamic Summit in Istanbul in December during which Abbas gave a speech in response to Washington's Jerusalem decision. Also, Cavusoglu announced Dec. 15 the opening of the Turkish Embassy to the Palestinian Authority in East Jerusalem, while much of the world refuses to recognize the Palestinian state.