US Jerusalem move also disturbs Christians: Turkish FM

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA

Turkey’s foreign minister said Wednesday that not only Muslims but also Christians are “very disturbed” by the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in Istanbul, before flying to New York together, Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday the UN General Assembly will vote on a Jerusalem proposal countering the U.S. decision.

"We expect strong support from there [the General Assembly]. The decision not only disturbed Muslims, but Christians are also very disturbed," Cavusoglu said.

He added that many Jews were disturbed by the decision as well.

The move comes two weeks after Washington announced its decision to recognize the holy city as Israel's capital and begin the process to move its embassy there from Tel Aviv -- the city where all other nations house their main diplomatic facilities.

On Monday the U.S. vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that rejected the establishment of diplomatic facilities in the city of Jerusalem, breaking with the rest of the council.

Fourteen council members voted in favor of the Egyptian-sponsored resolution demanding that U.S. President Donald Trump reverse course on his decision. The U.S. was the sole dissenting vote.

Cavusoglu said the U.S. is trying to threaten countries ahead of Thursday's vote.

The U.S. has sent a letter to all diplomatic representations in the UN saying that they will watch and record how countries vote, he said.

"What will you do by recording these names? Will you let those countries be invaded, or will you punish them?” he said.

“No one will succumb to these pressures. The U.S. should abandon these methods."

Maliki, for his part, said many countries have voiced their objection to the U.S. decision on Jerusalem.

He added that they hope these countries will also show their opposition to the U.S. decision in Thursday's vote.

"I hope that tomorrow, after the vote in the General Assembly, we could stand together, also facing the media and the press, to celebrate the success, the victory, and make history in the General Assembly," Maliki said.

Jerusalem's status has long been considered a final status issue to be determined by Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and Trump's decision is widely seen as undercutting that longstanding understanding. East Jerusalem, which Palestinians are seeking to make the capital of their state, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.