Ministry: US statement to open embassy in Jerusalem ‘quite worrying’

ANKARA

Turkey said on Feb. 25 a decision by the United States to open an embassy in Jerusalem in May shows a disregard for the decision by the United Nations and Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and that the U.S. insists on “damaging peace.”

In a statement, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the decision was “very worrying.” The U.S. State Department said on Feb. 23 that it would open an embassy in Jerusalem in May to coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary.

In December 2017, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted an OIC summit of more than 50 countries in Istanbul where Muslim leaders condemned the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.