Erdogan slams US' Jerusalem move at Istanbul summit

By Nilay Kar Onum and Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ISTANBUL (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on countries who follow international law to recognize Jerusalem as the "occupied capital" of Palestine.

Erdogan was speaking at an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

As the rotating president of the OIC, Erdogan said U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem was a threat to all humanity, including America.

Branding Israel an "occupying" and “terrorist” state, Erdogan said the country had been "almost rewarded" by Trump for its "terrorist actions".

Erdogan praised countries which have refused to recognize the U.S. move on Jerusalem, saying: "Only Israel, which occupies Jerusalem, supported the U.S.' unlawful decision. We thank all the countries who did not accept this illegitimate decision."

The Turkish president called on the U.S. to withdraw their "wrong, provocative and unlawful" decision.

Last week, Trump announced his decision -- despite widespread opposition across the Middle East -- to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The announcement sparked strong condemnation from around the world, including Turkey, the EU and the UN.

Jerusalem remains at the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

During his election campaign last year, Trump repeatedly promised to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.