Turkey criticizes Trump's aid cut threat to Palestine

By Cansu Dikme

ANKARA

Turkey on Friday criticized the U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying the U.S. is “aloof” from the realities of region.

On Thursday, Trump threatened Palestinian authorities with aid cuts at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos and said Palestine should now negotiate with Israel to receive the U.S. aid.

"When they disrespected us a week ago by not allowing our great vice president [Mike Pence] to see them, and we give them hundreds of millions of dollars in aid...money is on the table, and that money is not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace," Trump said.

In a written statement, Hami Aksoy, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed concerns over Trump's remarks.

“These statements show how aloof the U.S. President and his entourage are from the realities of the region and the dynamics of the conflict,” read the statement.

Describing the final status of Jerusalem as the most fundamental components of the peace process “towards the comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the outset”, the statement said: “The established parameters of the international community with regards to the settlement process cannot be amended by the U.S.”

"We call on the United States, as a matter of urgency, to respect the strong determination of the international community on this matter, particularly the resolutions of the UN Security Council, of which it is a permanent member," it added.

Last week, the U.S. State Department announced it was withholding $65 million in aid to Palestine “for further consideration”.

The U.S. fund cuts came a month after Trump sparked a world outcry by officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.