Erdogan challenges Trump: A Turkish embassy in East Jerusalem, capital of Palestine
The Turkish leader stressed that the holy city is "under Israeli occupation". However, "the day" is approaching where it will be possible to "open an embassy" in the State of Palestine. The US president's move is the result of a "Zionist and Evangelist" ideology. Today at the UN Security Council a resolution voted on changes to the Status of Jerusalem.
Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to open an embassy in East Jerusalem, the capital of a future Palestinian state "soon". This was announced yesterday by the leader of Ankara, expressing new, harsh attacks on the unilateral decision of US President Donald Trump to recognize the holy city capital of Israel and to arrange the transfer of the US embassy there.
The Turkish president is one of the most critical voices raised in recent times against the choice made by the US administration on December 6 last, which has raised protests and indignation - with dead and wounded - in the region and also concerns Pope Francis, who invoked respect for the status quo, as well as the Christian leaders of the Middle East. In an extraordinary meeting of the OIC countries (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Erdogan called on Muslim countries to recognize East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital.
In a speech given yesterday in Karaman, in the south of Turkey, he recalled that "the city is under occupation" and "we cannot go there and open an embassy". However, "the day" is approaching when we "can open it". Prime Minister Binali Yildirim echoed his words declaring in a subsequent speech "starting from today [...] Jerusalem East is the capital of Palestine".
Turkey has diplomatic relations with Israel and has opened an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate in Jerusalem. For the Ankara, Trump's move is the fruit of "a Zionist logic and a Zionist way of thinking" and the Jewish state has no right to "seize" Jerusalem, which is also "the capital of Muslims".
Meanwhile later today the United Nations Security Council will rule on a draft resolution that denies legal value to the "decisions" relating to Jerusalem and asks for their annulment. The one-page text prepared by Egypt makes no direct reference to Washington's decision and enjoys broad support. However, the veto in the Council from the United States is a foregone conclusion.
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