Turkey condemns Israel’s ‘illegal settlement policies’
In direct echo of previous Erdogan comments, presidential spokesman says new construction announcements an ‘absolute provocation’
A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Israel on Wednesday for its “illegal settlement policies” in the West Bank.
Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Ibrahim Kalin said the recent announcements of new Israeli settlement construction constitute an “absolute provocation,” according to Reuters.
In the past two months, Israel has announced the construction of some 6,000 homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the declaration of which have been met by widespread international condemnation.
Earlier this month, Erdogan used the exact same language to criticize Israeli settlement policies, saying “Israel’s decision to construct new settlement units in East Jerusalem and West Bank is an absolute provocation.”
The plan constituted a violation of international law, Erdogan added during a visit to Bahrain. “Ending the illegal settlement activity is a precondition for lasting peace and stability in the Middle East,” he said.
Turkey’s sharp criticism came just months after Jerusalem and Ankara began patching up long-tense relations.
Turkey and Israel renewed bilateral ties last summer. Ankara broke off relations with Jerusalem following a raid by Israeli forces on a Gaza blockade-busting ship, the Mavi Marmara, in 2010, in which 10 Turks were killed in a melee after they attacked IDF troops.
In December, the two countries exchanged ambassadors, and earlier this month a Turkish minister visited Israel for the first time since ties were mended.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman approved the construction of around 3,000 new homes in the West Bank, some of them outside settlement blocs Israel hopes to keep in a future peace deal with the Palestinians.
The decision came a week after Israel had green-lighted the construction of 566 housing units in East Jerusalem and another 2,500 homes in the West Bank.
The spree came on the heels of US President Donald Trump taking office, though the White House eventually expressed its displeasure with the settlement building and no new announcements have been made since February 1.
France, Germany, the EU and the Arab League are among those that have lambasted Israel’s settlement expansion decision.
The Times of Israel Community.