Turkey, Jordan, Malaysia discuss Gaza violence

LONDON – Anadolu Agency

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad over the phone on May 15 over recent developments at the Gaza border.

According to Turkish presidential sources, Erdoğan spoke to King Abdullah II and the Malaysian prime minister separately.

The leaders discussed the United States’ relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem and Israeli troops’ assault against Palestinians, sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media.

They also discussed possible steps to be taken over Israeli violence ahead of a planned emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on May 18 in Istanbul.

Later on May 15, Erdoğan spoke over the phone with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah over the recent developments at the Gaza border.

Erdoğan and the Kuwaiti Emir stressed the importance of showing a common stance by the Muslim countries against Israeli violence in Palestine, the source said.

The two leaders also discussed the upcoming OIC summit in Istanbul.

On the night of May 15, the Turkish president also spoke with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz over the phone and discussed Israeli violence in Gaza and the upcoming OIC summit.

On May 14, Erdoğan, who is in London for three-day official talks, spoke to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas over the phone.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 62 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by crossborder Israeli gunfire in one of the deadliest single-day massacres in the country’s history.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered on the Gaza Strip’s eastern border on May 14 to take part in mass rallies to commemorate the “Nakba”—the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment—and to protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by crossborder Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law did not apply.