French pianist gives concert for Palestine in Turkey

By Merve Topuz

SIVAS, Turkey (AA) - French pianist and composer Stephane Blet on Saturday gave a concert in support of Palestine in the central Sivas province of Turkey.

"I have been giving concerts for them for 25 years," Blet said at the Cumhuriyet University Culture Center.

Blet said he struggles against Zionists in Europe, adding it is more difficult to fight in France.

"I am really proud of Turkish people because you know what zionism is," he added.

Blet also called people to boycott Israel, saying: "Otherwise, they continue to kill our Palestinian brothers."

The concert for support came days after the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted a resolution rejecting a decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite worldwide opposition.

The decision sparked angry demonstrations across the Muslim world. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top Turkish officials have been at the international forefront opposing the U.S. move.

Of the assembly’s 193 member-states, 128 voted in favor of the resolution, nine -- including the U.S. and Israel -- voted against and 35 abstained. Twenty-one countries did not cast a vote.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.