Global Geo-political Series: Middle East tensions heat up as Turkey plans to move embassy to East Jerusalem to recognize Palestine

United States’ President Donald Trump’s unilateral recognition of the city of Jerusalem as Israel capital last week met with angry reactions from world leaders, drawing strong criticism in the Middle East and elsewhere. Like we told before, none of the criticism was as harsh as that of Turkish President Recep Tayipp Erdogan’s (maybe only next to Iran’s, which called for Israel’s destruction), who initially said that it is important to protect the current status quo in Jerusalem and it is important for the Islamic world to act as one. He stepped up his criticism since then. During an address last Sunday, he called Israel a child murderer state, “Jerusalem is the apple of our eye. We will not abandon it to the child-murderer state. We will not abandon it to an occupier state," Erdogan said in an address in the Turkish city of Sivas. We will continue our struggle within law and democracy. In Istanbul, we will unite Islamic countries, leaders, and heads of states. Our roadmap will show that it will not be easy for them to realize their plans".

Mr. Erdogan is also the one who called the Arab league summit in Istanbul that took place earlier this week and was attended by Muslim leaders from all across the world. We have already said that Turkey, which is a member of NATO and doesn’t face sanctions like Iran is likely to lead the resistance against Trump’s decision when Islamic leaders like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have taken a more restraint approach to the decision.

Tensions in the region is like to go up further as at the end of a special session of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, held in Istanbul, Turkey, to address the Jerusalem dispute, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the plan to establish a new Turkish embassy in East Jerusalem in support of Palestinians. Turkey would maintain its existing embassy in Tel Aviv for Israelis. Palestinians have long hoped East Jerusalem would be the capital of a future Palestinian state.