Putin, Erdogan agreed Trump's Jerusalem decision bad for region

  08 December 2017    Read: 2490
Putin, Erdogan agreed Trump's Jerusalem decision bad for region
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a phone call on Thursday that President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital will undermine peace and stability in the region, according to Reuters.
“President Erdogan emphasized that the latest move by the U.S. government would negatively impact the peace and stability in the region. Russian President Putin stated he shared the same views,” sources in Erdogan's office told the news agency.

Also on Thursday, Erdogan and Pope Francis agreed in another phone call that there should not be any changes to Jerusalem's status, according to Reuters.

Ahead of Trump's Jerusalem announcement on Wednesday, Erdogan warned against recognizing the city as the capital of Israel, saying that doing so would cross "a red line for Muslims." He also said that it could prompt the Turkish government to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.

Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel and announcement that he would direct the State Department to begin preparations to move the U.S. embassy to the city drew immediate criticism from leaders in the Middle East and beyond.

While Israel already considered the city its capital, the international community has long declined to recognize that status and countries have kept embassies in Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem is the home of holy sites for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike, and Palestinians have long wanted to claim the city as the capital of a future state.

Under the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, the U.S. is required to move its embassy to the city unless the president signs a national security waiver every six months keeping the facility in Tel Aviv.

Trump signed that waiver on Wednesday.

More about: #Erdogan   #Putin   #Jerusalem  


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