Turkish, Indonesian, Nigerian leaders discuss Jerusalem

By Cigdem Alyanak

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held phone conversations with his Nigerian and Indonesian counterparts to discuss the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

According to Turkish presidential sources, Erdogan’s discussions with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari focused on the importance of showing a common stance to convince the U.S. to reconsider its decision.

The leaders said the move by the U.S would “badly” affect the peace and stability in the region.

They also expressed hope the extraordinary summit of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), due to be held in Istanbul on Dec. 13, would show a common stance against the decision.

During the day, Erdogan also spoke to the presidents of France, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Lebanon.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump -- reversing decades of U.S. policy -- announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move Washington’s Israel embassy to the city.

The dramatic shift in Washington’s Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and other Muslim countries.

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