Turkey to Open Embassy in Palestine

Turkey presently has a consulate in Jerusalem. In a speech delivered at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Group meeting, Erdogan said that the Sharon administration was responsible for Palestine so the Israeli people should not be targeted because of the government’s actions. At the Parliamentary General Council where the latest developments in the Middle East were taken up, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, said that ‘the violence conducted by Israel in Palestine and by America in Iraq, will make it difficult for peace to come to the region.’

In a description of the latest developments in the region with warnings to deputies attending the closed party meeting, the Prime Minister said that the government wanted to improve diplomatic relations with Palestine.

Erdogan announced that there was already a consulate in Jerusalem and said they plan to open an embassy in Palestine. He also stated that he signed a decree for the appointment of former state minister, Vehbi Dincer, as Turkey’s Special Envoy to Palestine.

Erdogan requested that the public not hold Israeli businessmen, industrialists, Jewish people, or commercial products responsible for the actions of the Sharon administration.

Arguing that ‘this is the policy of ruling party,’ Erdogan said, ‘we cannot associate the Israeli administration with the Israeli people’ and asked AKP deputies to avoid statements and activities targeting Jewish people. He reacted harshly against Israel’s latest attacks and defined them as ‘state terrorism’. It is also known that Erdogan did not reply to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s offer to visit Turkey.