Turkish MP calls on US to revoke Jerusalem decision

A lawmaker from ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Tuesday called on the U.S. to revoke its decision on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

At a news conference in the parliament, Ilyas Seker said that the U.S. move had hurled the region into fire.

Seker said that Jerusalem was a joint heritage of the three monotheistic faiths.

“The games which are played on Jerusalem in the Middle East should be ended soon so that this heritage can be protected in peace,” said Seker, who represents western Kocaeli province, southeast of Istanbul.

“The U.S. should reverse its move in order to put an end to the bloodshed and tears,” Seker added.

The U.S. policy change on Jerusalem has sparked a wave of protests across the Arab and Muslim world, as well as worldwide condemnations.

At an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held last week in Istanbul, participants responded to the U.S. move by formally recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

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

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem — occupied by Israel since 1967– might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.