US’ Mideast plan threatens regional peace: Erdogan

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S.’ Middle East plan threatens the regional peace and tranquility, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

"I would like to state once again that this so-called peace plan is nothing but a dream that threatens the regional peace and tranquility,” Erdogan told reporters upon his return to Turkey after his Pakistan visit.

Erdogan stressed that Turkey will never allow “legitimization of invasion, annexation and destruction”.

Noting that neither the West nor Europe or Africa accept the so-called peace plan, he said Turkey will get favorable result at the UN.

He also called on the Islamic countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take clear stance against the plan.

On Jan. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the controversial “Deal of the Century,” to end one of the longest-running disputes in the Middle East.

Trump proposed an independent Palestinian state but with the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital".

The so-called peace plan unilaterally annuls previous UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue and suggests giving Israel almost everything it demanded.

Turkey has slammed the so-called “peace” plan as an effort to "justify Israeli occupation and annexation of Jerusalem and the West Bank."

The EU doesn’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over territories it has occupied since 1967.

EU foreign affairs ministers will discuss the topic at meeting in Brussels next Monday. U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo was invited to join the debate.