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Erdogan sharply condemns Israel at Arab League summit

27 March 2010 16:16 (UTC +04:00)

Expressing his gratitude to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for invitation and hospitality, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Arab states would not accept "Israel’s aggression in Jerusalem and the holy sites â€“ unconditionally". Speaking at an Arab League summit held in the Libyan town of Sirte, Erdogan criticized the government’s decision to approve more housing units in east Jerusalem. "The Israeli interior minister says Jerusalem is the capital, but this is crazy. We are not obliged to accept this. The construction in east Jerusalem is unacceptable and unjustifiable," Erdogan said. He mentioned the Mideast Quartet’s condemnation of the construction and added, "Israel is not only violating international law but also the laws of emotion and conscience. Inflaming tensions in Jerusalem means inflaming tensions in Palestine and the entire Middle East."
Gaddafi, who is taking over the Arab League’s rotating presidency, used his speech at the summit to castigate what he said was years of failure by Arab states to take strong collective action in standing up to Israel.