Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Donald
Trump's plan to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel is a "red line" for Muslims and
could see him breaking off diplomatic relations with the country.
Mr Erdogan told parliament his country's response
"could go as far as us cutting diplomatic ties with Israel."
He also said he would convene a summit meeting of countries
of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation to oppose any move recognising
Jerusalem.
American officials have said Mr Trump may recognize
Jerusalem as Israel's capital this week as a way to offset his likely decision
to delay his campaign promise of moving the US embassy there.
His point-man on the Middle East, son-in-law Jared Kushner,
later said the US President hasn't decided yet what steps to take regarding
Jerusalem.
The diplomatic adviser of President Mahmoud Abbas said the
Palestinian leadership would "stop contacts" with the United States
if Mr Trump recognised Jerusalem and Israel's capital.
Jared Kushner: Trump is still yet to make decision on
recognising Jerusalem as Israel capital
Majdi Khaldi said the US would lose credibility as a
mediator in the Middle East if the US President went ahead with the move.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, which is home to major
Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, in the 1967 Middle East war.
It quickly annexed it, declaring the whole of the city as
its capital in a move which has not been recognised internationally.
Palestinians want Jerusalem as the capital of their future
state and the international community argues the city's status must be
determined in peace talks.
Donald Trump's full remarks in Jerusalem in May
The possibility of Mr Trump recognising Jerusalem as
Israel's capital has also stirred opposition from US and foreign officials, who
fear it could unleash violence.
Such a decision, which US officials have said has not been
finalised, would violate decades of US policy not to take a stance on the fate
of Jerusalem, on the grounds it was an issue Israeli sand Palestinians should
negotiate and decide.
It could spark demonstrations or violence by Palestinians or
Muslims around the world, in part because of the sensitivity of the Jerusalem
site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.
The site includes the al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site
in Islam, and the golden Dome of the Rock. It was also the site of an ancient
Jewish temple, the holiest place in Judaism.
On Monday, the White House said it would not take any action
on whether to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something Mr
Trump promised to do in his presidential campaign
No comments:
Post a Comment