Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara intends to open an embassy in East Jerusalem, days after leading calls at a summit of Muslim leaders for the world to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. President Erdogan said, “Since Jerusalem is currently under occupation we cannot go there and open our embassy there, but our consulate general is represented at ambassador level. So we have de facto accomplished this but God willing, the day is close when officially, with God’s permission we will open our embassy there,” the Turkish leader asserted.
It is not yet clear how President Erdogan intends to carry out the move, as Israel controls all of Jerusalem and defines the city as its united and indivisible capital. Nevertheless, the Turkish leader is receiving strong support across Turkey, as thousands of people rallied on Sunday in different parts of the country – including in the capital Ankara and the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, among other locations – protesting Washington’s decision on Jerusalem and the ensuing clashes in the region, which the protesters blamed responsibility on both Israel and the United States, calling for the destruction of both countries.