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Turkish President urges world to recognise East Jerusalem as ‘Capital of Palestine’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday urged the world to recognise occupied East Jerusalem as the “capital of Palestine”.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has warned that peace in the Arab world is impossible till such a move was made.

Erdogan opened in Istanbul an emergency summit of the world’s main pan-Islamic body the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), seeking to marshal Muslim leaders towards a coordinated response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Abbas warned that the United States has lost its role as the mediator in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians as a result of the move by US President Donald Trump.

Erdogan, who regards himself a champion of the Palestinian cause, described Israel as a state defined by “occupation” and “terror”.

“With this decision, Israel was rewarded for all the terrorist activities it has carried out. It is Trump who bestowed this award,” he said.

Erdogan added: “I am inviting the countries who value international law and fairness to recognise occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine,” saying that Islamic countries would “never give up” on this demand.

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