Turkey's prime minister says he plans to visit Gaza Strip

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he wants to visit Gaza Strip and described last month's visit there by the emir of Qatar as a positive step.

Vatan newspaper quotes Erdogan as saying Friday he will determine the date of his trip with Gaza's Hamas leadership.

On Oct. 23, Qatar's Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani became the first head of state to visit Gaza since Hamas militants seized power there five years ago.

Erdogan says he once proposed visiting Gaza with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who was "warm" to the idea. He did not say whether he will ask Abbas again to join him.