Turkish government asked to open embassy in E Jerusalem

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Thursday asked the government to open Turkey's Embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem.

"Turkey should immediately, without wasting time, open its embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem," Engin Altay, the CHP's parliamentary deputy group chairman, said while speaking to journalists in the parliament.

Altay said his party would support the move without any condition.

He called on the Arab world to be more sensitive on the Palestine issue. "The Arab countries failed to pass the exam in expressing solidarity with Palestine."

Altay said the CHP is pleased with the decisions of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on recognizing East Jerusalem as Palestine's capital.

The OIC, which was established during a historic summit in Rabat, Morocco in 1969 following an arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, issued a declaration on Wednesday recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

The announcement came on Wednesday following the emergency meeting of the bloc in Istanbul called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Altay said that the ruling and opposition parties are united when it comes to address national and regional issues.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey, opened in 1925 following the declaration of the Republic, has the privilege of being one of the oldest diplomatic missions abroad directly linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After Israel declared Jerusalem as its “eternal and indivisible” capital in 1980, Turkey closed its Consulate General in Jerusalem as a sign of protest. Following the positive atmosphere created by the Madrid Peace Conference, the Consulate General resumed its activities in September 1992 and has remained open so far.

Last week, Trump announced his decision -- despite widespread opposition across the Middle East -- to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.