ANKARA/ISLAMABAD – Turkey on Tuesday urged Islamic countries to reviewtheir ties with Israel and said it would call an extraordinary summit ofthe Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after the illegal stateforces massacred dozens of Palestinians during protests in Gaza on Monday.
Erdogan made a special call to Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan in this regard andurged him to join the extra ordinary session of the OIC.
The meeting will take place on May 18, government spokesman and DeputyPrime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced.
Ankara has reacted with fury to the killing of at least 61 Palestinians inGaza on the same day as the US formally moved its embassy in Israel toJerusalem from Tel Aviv in defiance of international outrage.
“Islamic countries should without fail review their relations with Israel,”Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling party in parliament.
“The Islamic world should move as one, with one voice, against thismassacre,” he added.
During a telephonic call, the Turkish leader extended invitation toPakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for participation in theextraordinary session of the OIC.
PM Yildirim condemned actions taken by occupying forces and reiteratedPakistan’s solidarity and support for the peaceful struggle of the peopleof Palestine for their homeland.
Thanking Turkey for its timely initiative, PM Abbasi confirmed hisparticipation in the extraordinary OIC session.
Serving as the OIC president, Turkey convened in December 2017 thecountries of the organization to coordinate a response to the transfer ofthe American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in violation of the UnitedNations resolutions on the status of the city.
The summit declared East Jerusalem – which the international communityregards as annexed by Israel – “as the capital of the State of Palestine”and urged the world to follow suit.