Abbas said that he would work for a solution with or without Hamas.

"Hamas can support me or not. When I find a way to a solution with Israel, I'll present this to the Palestinian people in a referendum. The Palestinian people are above Hamas and other politicians," he said.

Abbas was in Turkey as part of a tour that is expected to also take him to Norway, Finland and France.

Earlier this month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the EU for cutting off direct financial support to the Palestinian government and said abandoning the policy would contribute to Middle East peace. Abbas is scheduled to meet with Erdogan on Tuesday.

Hamas, which won the Jan. 25 Palestinian legislative elections, is on the EU's list of terrorist organizations, a designation that bars EU officials from any dealings with the group.