Turkiye: Erdogan says lasting peace only achievable with Palestinian state

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that lasting peace in the Middle East is only possible through the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of St. Ephrem Syriac Ancient Orthodox Church in Yesilkoy on the European side of Istanbul, Erdogan said the realisation of an independent and geographically integrated Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital, “could not be delayed any longer”.

Turkiye, he added, was determined to ramp up diplomatic efforts to achieve calm in the fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces, but added that a two-state solution was the only way to achieve regional peace.

The Turkish president has stressed on the importance of the city of Jerusalem for Muslims and Christians, adding that “the Palestine issue stands as the root cause of the problems in our region.”

“Our region will remain craving peace unless a just settlement is reached,” he added.

He also emphasised that any steps that will escalate tensions in the region, “lead to more bloodshed and deepen the problems should be avoided.”

WATCH: Israel strikes Al-Sousi Mosque in Gaza