15 May 2018•Update: 15 May 2018
By Meltem Ozturk
ANKARA
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Tuesday strongly condemned Israel and the U.S. for the killing of dozens of innocent and oppressed Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Speaking during the parliamentary group meeting of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Yildirim urged Islamic states to reconsider ties with Israel.
"The Islamic world is obliged to show humanity, unity and solidarity against these cruelties. No one should remain silent over this persecution," he said.
At least 59 Palestinians were martyred and hundreds more injured by Israeli forces along the Gaza border Monday amid protests marking the Nakba anniversary and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Yildirim described the U.S.'s Jerusalem move as "null and void" for Turkey.
"We see the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem as a sabotage of peace and we do not accept it."
He said a rally will be held on Friday in Istanbul to protest the Israeli brutality in Gaza, calling on everyone to join the demonstration to stand against oppression.
"This is not a [political] party event. This will be an important meeting that will bring people together to show unity and solidarity with our [Palestinian] brothers [...]," Yildirim said.
Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 90 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The rallies are to culminate on Tuesday, the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "the Catastrophe".
Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.
