Turkey welcomes UN censure of US Jerusalem move

By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on Thursday welcomed the UN General Assembly's rejection of the U.S. decision on the status of Jerusalem.

Kalin tweeted that the UN vote was "historic" for Jerusalem, Palestine and international justice.

The UN on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on Jerusalem, calling on the U.S. to withdraw its recognition of the city as Israel's capital.

A total of 128 members voted in favor of the Jerusalem resolution, nine countries voted against and 35 others abstained.

Thursday's vote is "ignoring the U.S. decision," wrote Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag on social media.

The 128 countries "showed that they, as sovereign and independent countries, did not surrender to the clear threat and oppression of the U.S.," Bozdag tweeted.

This UN rejection of the U.S. decision also "showed that Palestinians and Jerusalem are not alone," he wrote.

He also described how Turkey played in key role in the development and how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan brought the issue to the UN.

Unlike the UN’s 15-member Security Council, the U.S. does not have a veto in the General Assembly.

However, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding.

"Although it is non-binding, it will be very effective as it defines legitimacy against threat and blackmailing," Turkey's EU Minister Omer Celik tweeted.

He described Thursday's UN decision as "a turning point".

"It is such a happy and historic day for Jerusalem. It is a day when all who defend legitimacy win," he added.

International law views the West Bank -- including East Jerusalem -- as “occupied territory” and considers all Jewish settlement building on the land to be illegal.

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