Erdogan calls Israel a ‘state of occupation’

ANKARA (Monitoring Desk): President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“Israel has continued to expand as it suppressed Palestine. Israel is a state of occupation. They are attacking civilians, including children, in Gaza and the West Bank as it is causing terror with its police and soldiers,” Erdogan said.

“I have been speaking with world leaders over the past few days. This morning, I spoke with France’s Macron. I spoke with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Kazakhstan. I also spoke with the Pope, because this is not only a matter for Muslims. It is the problem for Christians and Jews,” he added.

Erdogan is continuing to conduct diplomatic communication with many global leaders and heads of government. The president discussed the Jerusalem issue with the leaders of Malaysia, Tunisia, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Sudan on Friday. Erdogan also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Pope Francis.

“Leaders should aim to bring peace, not cause unrest. Trump’s decision is not in line with the law or justice. This decision has delivered a heavy blow to the United Nations Security Council. What we are experiencing today is only the result. The problem is the system,” Erdogan said.

Earlier in the week, Erdogan said the U.S. move disregarded a 1980 United Nations resolution regarding the status of the city.

Jerusalem, which is holy to Jews, Muslims and Christ-ians, remains at the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that its eastern part, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, might serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state. “The U.S. decision on Jerusalem has no validity. The decision is an act of provocation, which is backed by Evangelists.

The fate of Jerusalem cannot be left in the hands of those who have occupied it since 1967. Jerusalem is the red line,” Erdogan said. “The OIC will meet in Istanbul on Wednesday to coordinate a response. We will decide what we can do to protect the status of Jerusalem,” he added. Turkey will host an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Dec. 13 to discuss the U.S.’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron agreed to “close cooperation” on the Jerusalem crisis, a presidential source said. In a telephone call, the leaders discussed concerns over the U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, calling it “worrisome for the region”. Erdogan said it was the duty of all humanity to preserve the status of Jerusalem, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

He noted the importance of the sensitive attitude of EU members and said a wrong step could negatively impact the region, including Israel. The presidents agreed to continue efforts to convince the U.S. to reconsider its decision. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S.’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital and said the U.S. Embassy would relocate from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Erdogan also spoke to Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev, Ilham Aliyev and Michel Aoun, of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Lebanon respectively, about Jerusalem, the source said. He said regional peace and stability could only be secured through an independent and sovereign Palestine state within its 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.