Ankara: US Decision to Open Embassy in Jerusalem in May Damages Peace

The US State Department has announced that Washington will open a new embassy in Jerusalem (al-Quds) that was recognized by the incumbent Trump Administration as the capital of Israel, on May 14, 2018, the date that will mark the 70th anniversary of the foundation of Israel.

"US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (al-Quds) in May violates UN Security Council resolutions regarding the status of Jerusalem (al-Quds) and well-established UN parameters, and demonstrates the intention of the United States to undermine peace," the ministry's statement read, Sputnik reported.

Tensions over Trump's decision, especially in the Muslim world, have been brewing since the initial announcement of the embassy's relocation in early December 2017, with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas saying the US could no longer mediate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Hamas movement, which is classified as a terrorist organization in the US and Israel, has announced the beginning of the third intifada, a Palestinian uprising against the US decision. The massive protests were held in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem (al-Quds) with demonstrators eventually clashing with the Israeli security forces.

Shortly after the announcement, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hosted a summit of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where the leaders of participating countries harshly criticized the US actions.

The UN General Assembly has also adopted a resolution, calling on UN member states to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem (al-Quds) amid Trump's announcement.

The city of Jerusalem (al-Quds) is one of the cornerstones of the decades-long standoff between Israelis and Palestinians over sovereignty and borders.