The OIC Emergency Meeting in Istanbul: Statement on Palestine

(Istanbul, Turkey, 13 December 2017)

Abstract

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declared East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine under occupation' and urged the U.S. to withdraw from the peace process and back down from its Jerusalem decision in a statement issued following an extraordinary summit in Istanbul on Wednesday. The OIC also called on other countries to recognize East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. Following the summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen held a joint press conference to announce its results. Abbas said that Palestinians can no longer accept the U.S. as mediator in the peace process since it has lost impartiality. We will apply to the UN Security Council for the annulment of US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Abbas said, noting that all 14 member countries of the UNSC other than the U.S. support Palestine’s position.