Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh ended their meeting in Istanbul on Saturday after more than two and a half hours of talks - per Turkish media cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

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Erdogan received the head of Hamas’ Political bureau Haniyeh at the Dolmabahce palace with his delegation, including Khaled Mashal.

Erdogan, during the meeting, urged Palestinians to unite - a statement by his office said.

"It is vital that Palestinians act with unity in this process. The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity," Erdogan said according to a Turkish presidency statement.

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