ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will participate in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit scheduled in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The summit, called by Turkish president, will discuss the recent decision of the Donald Trump administration to shift the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Before the summit, a meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers will be held, in which Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif will represent Pakistan.

Abbasi will convey the sentiments of the people and government regarding the issue of Palestine, besides showing unequivocal support for the case of Palestine.

Last week, Trump had recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which had led to worldwide protests.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday described Israel as a “terrorist state” and vowed to use “all means to fight” against the US recognition of Jerusalem as the country’s capital.

“Palestine is an innocent victim... As for Israel, it is a terrorist state, yes, terrorist!” Erdogan said in a speech in the central city of Sivas.

“We will not abandon Jerusalem to the mercy of a state that kills children.”

Erdogan earlier described the status of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Palestinians see as the capital of their future state, as a “red line” for Muslims. He called Trump’s declaration “null and void.”

The Turkish president has used his position as the current chairman of the OIC to call a summit of the pan-Islamic group on Wednesday.

“We will show that applying the measure will not be as easy as that,” he added.

Internews / AFP