Turkey slams Israel's approval of settler homes

By Rabia Iclal Turan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that Israel's decision to construct more than 2,300 new settler homes in occupied Palestinian territories was "mockingly ignoring international law".

The ministry said in a statement: "The approval by Israel to build 2342 additional housing units in the illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is another obvious example of Israel's policy to change the demographic structure of the region."

These illegal settlements approved by Israeli authorities showed a 50% increase this year compared to last year in a "solid evidence of Israel’s aim to destroy the vision for a two-state solution," it said.

"We reject this illegal decision of Israel, which continues to violate the fundamental rights of the Palestinians by mockingly ignoring international law and reiterate our call on all members of the international community to fulfill their responsibility to counter the oppression and occupation of the Palestinian people," the statement said.

Israel approved the construction of these settler homes in the occupied West Bank, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now on Oct. 31.

Roughly 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live on more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories -- along with the Gaza Strip -- for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.