Jerusalem is one of the priorities of Turkey's foreign policy, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday.
"The preservation of the historical and legal status of Jerusalem is one of the priorities of our foreign policy. This is sacred to us," Çavuşoğlu said at a consultation meeting with ambassadors of Palestine to European countries.
"Israel, instead of learning from previous experiences, repeats the same mistakes. While maintaining the inhumane blockade in Gaza, Israel runs a campaign that feeds on violence and aims at crippling a two-state solution," he said.
"The nation-state bill passed last year by Israel’s parliament is a fresh example reflecting this mindset. We will never allow such attempts to cast a shadow over our goal of forging a just and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy,” Çavuşoğlu added.
“The more Israel intensifies its illegal activities, the more we will strive for justice and peace.”
Turkey will fight faits accomplis in Jerusalem, including unilateral moves on the status of Jerusalem, which the U.S. recognized as Israel’s capital in late 2017.
He urged the recognition of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with a capital in East Jerusalem, based on the pre-1967 borders.
Cavusoglu pointed out that Ankara has provided more than $460 million to Palestine since 2005 and TIKA, Turkey’s state aid agency, has carried out some 550 projects in the country.
He underlined that Ankara's main motive is to ensure that Palestine, with the backing of these projects, can grow a strong, independent and sustainable economy.
On the recently stepped up U.S. sanctions on Iran, he said: "We don't approve of these sanctions, we believe that cornering Iran like that is dangerous, and we will maintain our support for Iran."
