Turkey is considering opening diplomatic missions in East Jerusalem in response to President Donald Trump’s controversial recognition of the city as the capital of Israel.
Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), asked the government to open Turkey’s Embassy in Palestine in East Jerusalem.
Engin Altay, the CHP’s parliamentary deputy group chairman said: “Turkey should immediately, without wasting time, open its embassy to Palestine in East Jerusalem.”
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.
He said: “The Arab countries failed to pass the exam in expressing solidarity with Palestine.”
Altay said the CHP is pleased with the decision made by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday in recognising East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital city.
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The OIC, which was established during a historic summit in Morocco in 1969 following an arson attack on Masjid Al-Aqsa in occupied Jerusalem.
The announcement came following the emergency meeting of the bloc in Istanbul called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
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, and 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.
