December 06, 2017•Update: December 07, 2017
By Talha Ozturk
BELGRADE, Serbia
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said one country’s statement cannot make Jerusalem into Israel’s capital.
Cavusoglu's remarks came during his official visit to Serbia's capital Belgrade.
He first met President Aleksandar Vucic and later participated in a trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey.
Cavusoglu said Trump's statement came despite warnings from all around the world.
"Despite all warnings, not only from Turkey, not only from the Muslim world, especially from Europe, U.S. President Trump made this statement.
“This is extremely irresponsible and misleading. We strongly condemn it … we do not accept this announcement because such an explanation dynamizes the stability and security of the region, and it is contrary to international law and international agreements.
“It is also against the decisions of the United Nations. Once United Nations decisions have been made, the internal security of the Security Council must be respected.
“One country’s statement cannot make Jerusalem into Israel’s capital. The whole world is against it. This is a very wrong decision, a very dangerous decision," said Cavusoglu.
He also called for lasting solutions from the U.S.
"Instead of populist approaches like this, we and the U.S. should strive for a lasting solution. We will take the necessary steps in Turkey. Next week in Istanbul, we will organize the Islamic Cooperation Summit. We invited all leaders of the Islamic world to Turkey. Here we will also determine our common attitude," said Cavusoglu.
The U.S. is formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday, brushing aside broad-based international opposition.
He is also directing the State Department to initiate the relocation of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is claimed by Israelis and Palestinians. The move is expected to take a number of years.
Palestinian leaders have already called for three “days of rage” to contest Trump’s decision.
Jerusalem is considered holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and changes to contested city’s status quo have been met with fierce opposition.
Israel’s decision to restrict Muslim access to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in 2015 set off widespread street violence between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. An Israeli decision to install controversial metal detectors at the mosque's entrance earlier this year was ultimately reversed after being met with mass protests by Palestinians.
