Bethlehem – Ma’an – Turkey and Palestine further solidified their political ties Friday as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul opened the new headquarters of the Palestinian embassy in Ankara together.

“Turkey hopes someday to open its embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem,” Gul announced after the two planted a blue spruce tree in front of the offices. The new buildings were built with assistance from the Turkish government. Abbas called the move a “symbol of friendship and brotherhood” between Palestine and Turkey, according to the government-run news agency WAFA.

The opening was attended by secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat, Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rdeina, Palestinian Ambassador to Turkey Nabil Ma’roof, and several Turkish officials.