Turkish President Erdogan: '...East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine'

The TURKEN Foundation, that "enables students, scholars, researchers to realize both their full potential and the available services" in the U.S. and assists them "at any kind of problem" organised a dinner in London where the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech on Sunday.

Only a day ahead of the move of the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem -about to take place, today, May 14- but practically within the time frame of the celebration of the Jerusalem Day -the Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the Old City in the aftermath of the June 1967 Six-Day War, that lasted from May 12-May 13, 2018, the remarks of Turkey's head had their significance.

"Jerusalem, above all, east Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. As the Islamic world, we accept it as it is", Erdogan said, referring to the American administration's decision to move their embassy to Jerusalem;

Anadolu reported that "Erdogan said 128 countries voted clearly against this decision at the UN general assembly" whereas 'East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine', "despite all steps taken to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He said only a few countries had to vote with the US as they were told to do so in various phone calls in return of financial aids given to those countries."

Erdogan spoke of Islamophobia - What links it with the U.S. embassy opening in J'lem?

Among other issues the Turkish leader referred to in his address to the TURKEN event audience, he also spoke of Islamophobia which he linked with the refugees from Muslim communities of conflict zones they flee in order to seek refuge in Europe.

"Erdogan said those who have sought salvation in European countries had to face a scene they never imagined.

'They faced racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia in those countries who claim to be the cradle of democracy.

When we take a look at the European countries, we see that they take Syrian, Asian and African immigrants not as the oppressed but a threat. Especially xenophobia and Islamophobia are making Europe’s body decay as a greater social disease than anti-Semitism of the end of 1930s'."

One could not but think of what will happen in Jerusalem.

Today's Isreali newspaper Haaretz, reads "Marches planned against U.S. embassy move and for Palestinian statehood, raising potential for additional clashes besides those expected on Gaza border".

Another very interesting article of the same paper, refers to a personality whose ideas and ideals actually "work" as proof to Erdogan's comments on Islamophobia.

Contrversial Robert Jeffress, the Dallas-based Southern Baptist pastor who has called Islam "a heresy from the pit of hell", has said that all Jews would "go to hell" and has made many other -at the very least- derogatory remarks about Catholicism and the Mormons was... picked by the Trump administration to lead the prayer for the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem...

However, as dailymail.co.uk points out, "The role of Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, a Southern Baptist megachurch, underlines the significance of the Jerusalem event as an appeal to Christian conservatives, part of President Donald Trump's base of supporters.".... / IBNA