Qatar official hails Turkey’s unifying role at OIC meet

By Ahmed al-Masri and Ali Semerci

DOHA (AA) - Qatar’s justice minister on Wednesday praised the recent extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Istanbul last week, where participants recognized East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Hassan al-Mohannadi said the summit had provided a “roadmap” for opposing U.S. President Donald Trump's decision earlier this month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the official Qatar News Agency reported.

Al-Mohannadi also praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for hosting the OIC summit and bringing Muslim countries together to forge a unified response to the controversial U.S. move.

Tension has mounted across the region since Dec. 6, when Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, prompting a wave of condemnation and protest from across the Arab and Muslim world.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the perennial Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.