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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is a reward for Israeli “terror acts.”
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Islamic Summit to Back Jerusalem as Palestine Capital
Erdogan explained that Trump has sent a clear message to Muslims about his decision. The Turkish head of state made the remarks during an emergency meeting at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
The meeting of officials from over 50 Muslim countries takes place a week after Trump's announcement, which has triggered widespread protests across the Middle East and Islamic world.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also stated, in his address, that there will be no peace if the world does not recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Erdogan echoed the sentiment, adding that Muslim nations must urge the world to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
According to an Anadolu Agency report, Erdogan is largely viewed as the spiritual leader of all Muslims around the world.
"President Erdogan is not only the leader of Turkey, he is also the spiritual leader of all Muslims around the world, in the view of many Muslim societies,” Hamit Emrah Beris, a professor at Ankara's Gazi University and deputy head of Turkey's Public Order and Security Undersecretariat, said.
“Erdogan is trying to develop a common language and attitude for all Muslims but this approach is not compatible with the interests of many authoritarian governments in the region.”
During his summit address, the Turkish leader emphasized that world powers show recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, adding that the United States should make amends and reverse the decision. Turkey earlier said Trump's decision would plunge the world "into a fire with no end."
“The world we live in has faced many massacres, savagery, and humanitarian and political crises in the last century and unfortunately they are gradually growing. Many of these problems are experienced in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia, where many Muslims live,” said Ahmet Uysal, a professor of Middle East studies at Istanbul University.
Abbas also said Palestinians will reject the inclusion of the United States in any peace talks following its display of bias towards Israel. Trump's decision, the Palestinian head of state stated, threatens to "turn a political struggle into a religious one."
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu reiterated that the Palestinian state “must all strive together. We must encourage other countries to recognize the Palestinian state on the basis of its 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."
Cavusoglu said members of the summit declare East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital and called for Israel to withdraw from territories.
Jerusalem is home to Islam's third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades.
“The Muslim world should react decisively against the U.S. decision on Jerusalem," Cavusoglu added. "Organizations such as the D-8 and the OIC generally make ineffective decisions. But maybe this time, during OIC Istanbul summit, it will change.”
"The Islamic world is still under the severe control of the West and the region is fragmented. Also, the majority of these countries in the Middle East are not democratic governments.”
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