ANKARA: Speaking at a parliamentary group meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey may cut its diplomatic ties with Israel if Washington follows through on its reportedly impending recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
“You cannot take such a step. Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims,” he said, adding that such a decision would be the violation of international law, and “a big blow to the conscience of humanity.”
Erdogan also stated that, if US President Donald Trump’s administration does take such a step, Turkey would call for an immediate meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which Turkey currently chairs, to oppose it.
On Monday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters that formal recognition of Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital would lead to a new conflict in the Middle East and result in a major catastrophe.
“The status of Jerusalem and Temple Mount has been determined by international agreements. It is important to preserve Jerusalem's status for the sake of protecting peace in the region,” he said.
However, these critical statements, echoing the warnings of other regional leaders, come amid a nascent and fragile push for normalization between Turkey and Israel, with the restoration of diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level in 2016 following a serious political crisis when 10 Turkish activists were killed in the 2010 Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara flotilla.
Experts think the potential fallout from recognition of Jerusalem will further complicate not only Turkey-Israel relations, by obstructing the ongoing efforts for rapprochement process, but will also have serious repercussions throughout the region.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues for the Muslim world, including Turkey.
“Such a decision would be ill-timed and controversial in the sense that provoking tension between the Arab world and Israel will not only undermine US efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also damage the fragile cooperation between Israel and the Gulf countries against Iran,” Selin Nasi, an Istanbul-based analyst of Israel-Turkey relations, told Arab News, while noting that Turkey’s capacity to prevent the US from recognizing Jerusalem is limited.
She added that Turkey’s position on the status of Jerusalem has been a consistent one.
“Turkey opposed Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem following the 1967 War. In 1980, when Israel’s Knesset passed the Basic Law, Jerusalem, Capital of Israel, which declared Jerusalem as Israel’s complete and united capital, Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations to second secretary status,” Nasi explained.
Trump’s possible recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “will likely damage efforts to rebuild mutual trust” between Turkey and Israel, she suggested, adding however that since 2016 low-profile relations have continued through issue-based partnerships.
As an immediate reaction to Erdogan’s comments on Tuesday, Israel’s Haaretz quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, “Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years and the capital of Israel for 70 years, whether Erdogan recognizes it as such or not.”
The Israeli Minister of Intelligence and of Transportation, Yisrael Katz, tweeted, “We don’t take orders or accept threats from the president of Turkey.”
Nimrod Goren, head of Mitvim, the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told Arab News: “The efforts by Arab and Muslim countries make clear to the US administration that they flatly reject an American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and that such a move will have negative consequences regarding prospects for peace, are legitimate.”
He added that such efforts “are said to have already influenced Trump's past decisions regarding a possible embassy move to Jerusalem.”
Nevertheless, he added, Turkey’s threat to cut ties with Israel does not make sense in this context, and may derive from a wish to appeal to public opinion in the region.
“The controversies between Israel and Turkey regarding Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue are known and are not new,” Goren said. “They are already making an impact on bilateral ties and are limiting the degree of cooperation between the countries. But, Turkey and Israel have managed — since the signing of their reconciliation agreement — to find ways in which they can develop working relations despite the controversies. It would be a mistake to let a wrong decision by Trump ruin this.”
Trump is expected to announce his final decision on the recognition of Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Erdogan threatens to cut ties with Israel over Jerusalem controversy
Erdogan threatens to cut ties with Israel over Jerusalem controversy
President Abbas hopes 2026 brings progress on Palestinian statehood
- Leader endorses Gaza committee, cites positive indications from US administration to resolving cause
RAMALLAH: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that Palestine is determined to continue its efforts with US President Donald Trump and other relevant partners.
He expressed hope that 2026 will witness progress toward resolving the Palestinian cause, citing positive indications from the US administration.
He was speaking during a ceremony marking his receipt of an honorary doctorate from the Arab American University in Ramallah.
Abbas said the state of Palestine has announced its support for the formation of the Palestinian Administrative Committee in the Gaza Strip during the transitional phase.
He expressed appreciation for the efforts of Trump and mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, and for moving toward the implementation of the second phase of Trump’s plan.
Abbas reaffirmed the importance of linking the institutions of the PA in the West Bank and Gaza, stressing the need to avoid creating parallel administrative, legal, or security systems that would entrench division.
He outlined his political vision based on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and return, and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with its neighbors.
The president said the Palestinian state would be democratic, based on equal citizenship, political pluralism, freedom of expression, the formation of political parties, the rule of law, good governance, human rights, integrity, and equality.
Abbas stressed that direct legislative and presidential elections are the foundation of democratic governance and the only path to the peaceful transfer of power under the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and the empowerment of women and youth.
He noted that work is underway to draft a temporary constitution and a political parties law in preparation for the upcoming elections.
Abbas affirmed that the Palestinian state remains committed to international law and the agreements and treaties signed with other states and international organizations.
The president reiterated that peaceful popular resistance, alongside political, diplomatic, and legal action, remains the strategic choice to end the occupation.
He said the Palestinian people continue to safeguard their presence, history, identity, and national memory despite immense challenges, adding that despite the catastrophe caused by the war in Gaza, they remain determined to rebuild the enclave and what has been destroyed across the West Bank.
Abbas also voiced confidence in Palestinian universities, saying they will not only transmit knowledge but also advance it through investment in scientific research and partnerships with the private sector and the state, emphasizing that science and technology are key drivers of national progress.
He stressed that it is time for the Palestinian people to write their own complete history, present their authentic narrative, and decisively refute false and distorted accounts that seek to misrepresent the reality and history of the Palestinian people.
