Speaking a news conference after a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul on Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: From 1947 to today, Israel has encroached on Palestine. We can clearly see that over time, Israel has continued to expand and as a result, has continued to occupy Palestine. The true owners of the occupied land are the Palestinians
“Israel is occupying almost all of Palestine, and is trying to take over all of Palestine. Trump is supporting this. This scenario is a result of Zionist and Evangelist movements. This is not a matter for Muslims alone, it is a matter for the whole world,” he added.
President Trump last week formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and initiated a plan to move the U.S.’s Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
Turkey then invited leaders of over 50 Muslim nations to Wednesday's meeting in Istanbul to formulate a joint response to Trump's decision.
Erdoğan added that the OIC summit in Istanbul shows the world that Jerusalem has not been abandoned.
“The United States can no longer be a mediator between Israel and Palestine. Trump’s decision is null and void for us. We have declared our stance to the world by saying that Jerusalem is our red line,” said Erdoğan.
“How can a president violate the 1980 United Nations agreement that his country signed? How can he make this decision on his own? The fate of Jerusalem cannot be left to a country that thrives on blood” he added.
The 57-member OIC bloc delivered a communique declaring East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and urging the international community to acknowledge it as such.
“We will continue to strive for Jerusalem, our first kiblah and the sibling of Mecca and Medina, until it is liberated from Israel’s occupation. Global peace can only be attained when the people of Palestine are free,” Erdoğan said.
“We will not stop until Palestine attains the borders outlined by the United Nations in 1967. I call on nations who have not yet recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine to do so immediately. If the peace process is to continue, other countries which can be peace mediators must take initiative. The United States can no longer be seen as an unbiased actor, and it can no longer be involved in the peace process,” he added.
