Turkey will never allow the peace in the region to be disrupted by the U.S.’ so-called “Deal of Century” Mideast peace plan, said Turkey’s president on Sunday.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came in a statement he sent to the current 3rd Conference of the Inter-parliamentary Jerusalem Platform in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

In his message to the platform, Erdogan underlined the meaning and the importance of such a conference in this critical period and added that “the so-called ‘Deal of Century' [which] declares Jerusalem the capital of Israel is nothing more than a dream that threatens peace in the region. We will not allow this dream to come true.

“We do not recognize this plan, which means annexation of Palestinian lands, completely destroys Palestine, and completely seizes Jerusalem. We never accept this attempt, which accepts a two-state solution on the surface but actually means legitimizing the Israeli occupation under the mandate of the American administration.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s so-called "deal of the century" was announced on Jan. 28. It refers to Jerusalem as “Israel’s undivided capital” and recognizes Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank.

 

Jerusalem red line

The plan has drawn widespread criticism from the Arab world and was rejected by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which urged "all member states not to engage with this plan or to cooperate with the U.S. administration in implementing it in any form."

Leaders of the Muslim bloc reiterated a need for a just and comprehensive solution that protects the rights of Palestinians.

Erdogan said Israel has unfairly and unlawfully reached its present borders while Palestine has been facing occupation, destruction, and suffering for years.

He said Turkey “will never remain silent on the annexation of Jerusalem or forsake its fellow Palestinian brothers in this fight.”

“I would like to stress once again that Jerusalem is our red line. As Muslim countries, our most important responsibility in this process is to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque, embrace the peace symbol Jerusalem, and defend the rights of Palestinians,” Erdogan said.

“The policy pursued by some Islamic countries against this step, which is the beginning of a process that will affect the entire world, especially the Middle East, has created a sad picture."

Erdogan has previously criticized some Islamic countries for sending representatives to the White House launch of the plan.

Turkish Protesters Rally Against Trump's 'Deal of the Century' in Istanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously stated that the American deal ignored the interests of the Palestinians, adding that to "leave Jerusalem to Israel is never acceptable". The plan was also rejected by the Palestinian authorities and numerous Middle Eastern countries.

Turkish protesters are holding a rally in Istanbul against the "Deal of the Century", an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump in late January. The organisers of the event condemn the decision and urge people to "stand up for Jerusalem against the Bullying of the Century".

The deal, announced by the US president, suggests that Jerusalem would become the "sovereign capital of the State of Israel", while Palestinians are granted several neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem as the capital of their state.

It also stipulates that Israel would incorporate at least 87 percent of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, while the Palestinian Authority would double its territories via several land swaps, and would be also granted $50 billion for infrastructure projects.