Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 13
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
The US is not a mediator in the negotiations between Palestine and Israel any more, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
President Erdogan made the remarks in Istanbul following the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the issue of Jerusalem, the Turkish media reported Dec. 13.
Erdogan added that by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the US clearly voiced its position on this issue and ceased to be a neutral mediator.
In a resolution adopted following the summit on Dec. 13, East Jerusalem was declared the capital of Palestine. OIC also called on all countries to condemn the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Previously, US President Donald Trump proclaimed that the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital after the end of the War of Independence in 1949. In 1967, after the Six Days War, it seized East Jerusalem and united it with the West Jerusalem, but the UN did not recognize this. Embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel are located mainly in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Ramat Gan.
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