Turkey declares 3 days of mourning over Gaza violence

By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish government has declared three days of mourning in solidarity with Palestine to commemorate Monday's martyrs, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced on Monday evening.

Bozdag, who made the announcement after a Council of Ministers meeting in Ankara, said the United States had "violated" UN Security Council resolutions by opening its embassy in Jerusalem on Monday.

"Today will go down in the history as Bloody Monday for Muslims and Islamic countries," Bozdag said.

He also said Turkey had called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to be held on Friday.

"Jerusalem's historic and spiritual status will never change. As it was before, Jerusalem will continue to be independent Palestine's capital," he said.

Bozdag also said the Turkish government had recalled envoys in Tel Aviv and Washington for consultations.

At least 55 Palestinians were martyred by Israeli army gunfire on Monday -- and thousands more injured -- during anti-occupation rallies along the Gaza Strip’s eastern border, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered on the Gaza Strip’s eastern border since early Monday morning to take part in protests aimed to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

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, May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "the Catastrophe".