17.05.2018 Ankara
Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee Turkish members released a joint press statement regarding the massacre which resulted from the United States moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, reading the joint declaration, stated that the insistence of the US administration on its erroneous move to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem resulting in the Jerusalem massacre, which whill be written shamefully into the annals of history, said, “The illegal move which the US and Israel have launched together is a betrayal to Jerusalem; a betrayal of peace and tranquility; a betrayal of humanity; a disrespectful attitude towards the whole Islamic world and an open provocation.”
Participating in the meeting were HAK Trade Unions Confederation
(Hak-İş) President Mahmut Arslan, Public Servants Unions Confederation
(Memur-Sen) Chairman Ali Yalcin, Turkey Tradesmen and Artisans Confederation
(TESK) Chairman Bendevi Palandöken, Turkey Confederation of Trade Unions
(TURK-IS ) President Ergun Atalay, Turkey Confederation of Employer
Associations (TISK) Executive Board Member Erhan Polat, Turkey Public Servants Unions
Confederation (Turkey Kamu-Sen) President Önder Kahveci, the Union of Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and
Turkey Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) Chairman Şemsi Bayraktar.
The joint declaration is as follows:
“We stand before you as the representatives of the professional and
civil society of Turkey, the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee’s Turkish
members.
About 5 months ago, we had expressed how, ignoring international law,
wrong, dangerous and irresponsible the decision of the US President to move the
embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was. Unfortunately, the US administration did
not step back from it, insisting on the mistake, and the result was the
Jerusalem massacre, which ended in shame.
We strongly condemn Israel's inhuman attack on Palestinians; we pray for
the loss of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and we pray for speedy
recovery of those wounded.
Distinguished Members of the Press,
Jerusalem is of the utmost importance for all three Abrahamic religions;
a holy city sacred for all three. It has been the symbol of coexistence for
centuries, it is a shared value of all mankind, belonging to no one and all of
us.
The first kiblah of Muslims, the Masjid al-Aqsa and Jerusalem, is sacred
for the of Islamic faith of 1.5 billion. The illegal move which the US and
Israel have launched together is a betrayal to Jerusalem; a betrayal of peace
and tranquility; a betrayal of humanity; a disrespectful attitude towards the
whole Islamic world and an open provocation.
Moreover, this is a blow to the solution of the Palestinian problem, the
peace process of the Middle East, as well as the sensitive balances and
stability of the region. No one has the right to play with the fate and faith
of billions of people for the sake of personal desires or political interests.
Remaining silent in the face of the US president's willful disregard of
law and democracy coupled with the militarist, insolent and inhumane practices
of Israel, will result in the opening of a very dangerous door for the whole
world.
Violation of Jerusalem's historical status is unacceptable. We condemn
this decision, which does not serve any purpose other than to create new
conflict areas in the Middle East and to throw the region into further turmoil.
We will be attending the Istanbul Yenikapi rally tomorrow, the Rally to Support
Palestinian People's, and we are calling for the participation of all members
of our community. We salute all of you with respect.”