Turkey slams 'unacceptable' US Jerusalem move

Turkey condemned on Wednesday the U.S. administration's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"We condemn the irresponsible statement of the U.S. administration declaring that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and it will be moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu wrote on his Twitter account.

“This decision is against international law and relevant UN Resolutions," he added.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on the U.S. announcement.

"We condemn the irresponsible statement of the U.S. administration that we learnt with great concern, declaring that it recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and it will be moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," the statement read.

The statement said the decision is against international law and relevant UN Resolutions, as the annexation of Jerusalem by Israel has been rejected by the international community and the UN.

"It has been recurrently emphasized by various UN Resolutions that the Palestinian question can only be settled through the existence of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"It is unacceptable that the U.S., a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, ignores this fact. Attainment of independence by Palestine is a historical, conscientious and human obligation. Turkey will continue to advocate this," the statement added.

It further stated that the decision will have negative reflections on the peace and stability in the region and also bears the risk of completely destroying the grounds for peace.

It called on the U.S. administration to reconsider "this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes and to avoid uncalculated steps that will harm the multicultural identity and historical status of Jerusalem".

"These developments regarding Jerusalem will be taken up extensively at the OIC [Organisation of Islamic Cooperation] Leaders’ Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting that will be held on 13th December 2017 in Istanbul upon the call made by H.E. President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan as the Summit Chair of the OIC," the statement concluded.

Turkey’s EU Minister Ömer Çelik also denounced the move, calling it a “provocation”.

"Trump and Netanyahu’s decision, which will put the world to face fresh conflicts, to overcome their political difficulties is totally provocation to hopes of peace,” Celik tweeted.

“The whole world must condemn Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem,” Celik underlined.

He noted that Jerusalem and the Palestinian people “will never be left alone”.

“This is a decision that should be embarrassed politically and morally,” Celik said adding: “Trump has made a heavy attack on all peace efforts in the Middle East. He also publicly declared that he did not recognize international law,” with the decision.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ also said the U.S. and its president who made this decision will be the first responsible for any kind of negative developments in the region afterwards.

Presidential Spokesman İbrahim Kalın also called the decision “null and void” for Turkey.

“It is frankly a ridiculous assessment that the American authority described this as a contribution to peace.”

This is an attempt to legalize the actual situation that would abolish all peace initiatives, and it is aimed at opening deep wounds in the Middle East, Kalın added.

Turkey’s main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also denounced the decision and said: “Trump put a bomb in the middle of Jerusalem. Deeply wounded us, the Middle East, deeply wounded everybody who was desperate for peace.”

He also said that they will support Palestinian brothers and sisters in their rightful fight, till the end.