‘Turkey for annulling Trump decision on Jerusalem at UN’

ANKARA: Turkey is launching an initiative at the United Nations to annul a decision by the United States to recognise Jerusalem as Israel´s capital, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Erdogan was speaking two days after a Muslim leaders meeting in Istanbul condemned US President Donald Trump´s decision, calling on the world to respond by recognising East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

"We will work for the annulment of this unjust decision firstly at the UN Security Council, and if a veto comes from there, the General Assembly," Erdogan told crowds gathered in the central Anatolian city of Konya via teleconference. The United States is a permanent Security Council member with veto powers, meaning any move to overturn Washington´s decision at the council would certainly be blocked. Jerusalem, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, is home to Islam´s third holiest site and has been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in an action not recognised internationally.