Turkey will never recognise US Mideast plan – Erdogan

Turkey will never recognise and accept the US’ so-called peace plan, the country’s president said on Friday.

“This plan aims annexation of the occupied Palestine territories,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a meeting of provincial heads of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in the capital Ankara.

Reiterating that Jerusalem is a “red line” for Turkey, Erdogan said Jerusalem is the key to world peace as it has been for thousands of years.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump released his plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian dispute at the White House alongside Netanyahu, with no Palestinian officials present.

During the event, Trump referred to Jerusalem as “Israel's undivided capital”.

The so-called peace plan unilaterally annuls previous UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue and suggests giving Israel almost everything they have been demanding.

Erdogan stressed that such a “rogue state” of Israel, which executes innocents on the streets, can never be credible for Turkey.

“Leaving Jerusalem entirely in Israel's bloody claws will be the greatest evil for all humanity,” he added.

“Some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity,” Erdogan told his party's provincial heads in Ankara.

The Turkish president also criticised Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan over their stance on Trump's so-called 'deal of the century'.

“Saudi Arabia in particular, you are silent. When will you break your silence? You look at Amman, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are the same,“ said the Turkish president.

Earthquake in eastern Turkey

Seven of the injured people from the last week’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the eastern Elazig province remained in intensive care and their condition is out of danger, Erdogan said.

“Turkey has carried out its most rapid and effective disaster response in [the country’s] history following this earthquake,” the president added.

Stressing that the donation for the victims of the earthquake is allocated to needy people, he said the country spent a significant amount of money from the national budget.

Turkey has been hit by a series of earthquakes since the start of 2020 as a 5.4-magnitude quake jolted western province of Manisa on January 22 and the capital, Ankara, was rattled by a 4.5-magnitude quake on January 23.

The worst of the quakes took place on January 24, when the eastern Elazig province was hit by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that led to the death of 41 people and injury of some 1,600 others. The tremors were also felt in neighbouring countries, including Georgia and Syria.

'Turkey may launch offensive in Idlib if attacks don't stop'

Turkey may launch a military operation into Syria's northwestern province of Idlib if the situation in the region is not resolved immediately, President Erdogan said, as attacks by Russia-backed Syrian regime forces raised concern of a new refugee wave to Turkey.

He further said Turkey could not handle a fresh influx of migrants. On Wednesday, Erdogan had said Ankara was losing patience with the assault and said Russia was violating agreements aimed at curbing conflict in the region.

The Kremlin responded on Friday saying Russia is fully compliant with its obligations in Idlib but is deeply concerned about militant attacks in the area.