Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that his country will never allow US’ so-called “Deal of the Century” to threaten peace in the region, according to the report.
Erdogan made the remarks in a written message that he has sent to the Third Conference of the Inter-parliamentary Jerusalem Platform in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.
The Turkish leader said that the deal which declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel is nothing more than “a dream” that threatens peace in the region, and Turkey would not allow this dream to come true.
“We do not recognize this plan, which means annexation of Palestinian lands, destroys Palestine, and completely seizes Jerusalem,” he was quoted as saying by Anadolu.
“We never accept this attempt, which accepts a two-state solution on the surface but means legitimising the Israeli occupation under the mandate of the American administration.”
On January 28, President Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, envisaging a two-state solution but keeping Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital.
During the Arab League emergency meeting held in Cairo, foreign ministers said, “Rejection of the US-Israeli Deal of the Century comes as it does not fulfil the minimum rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people”.
The meeting of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers was attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.
The Palestinians have already rejected the proposal, accusing Trump of being biased in favour of Israel as he has adopted policies that bolster Israel at their expense.
Hours after the plan was unveiled by President Donald Trump, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan also came up with his fiery comment, saying “absolutely unacceptable”.
President Trump said his plan includes “a realistic two-state solution,” and that his administration would “work to create a territory for a contiguous Palestinian state in the future” that would “reject terrorism.”
Under the plan, Jerusalem will remain Israel’s “undivided capital,” Trump said, raising eyebrows after he had said that the capital of the Palestinian state would be in “eastern Jerusalem,” where the United States would “proudly open an embassy.”
The plan builds on a 30-page economic plan for the West Bank and Gaza that was unveiled last June and which the Palestinians have also rejected.