Jerusalem is capital of Palestine: Turkish politician

A senior member of Turkey's opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) said on Monday that his party rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial move of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Speaking at the opening of the 2018 budget debate, Erkan Akçay, group acting chairman for MHP, said: "We reject and condemn this decision."

"Jerusalem is a territory of Palestine which was occupied by Israel. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.

"The Zionists and crusaders who pounded the doors of Jerusalem are still at work," he said, referring to Jewish and Christian lobbies.

"The response to this crusader mentality should be given at a legal and legitimate platform," he said.

Akçay said that this new debate on the status of Jerusalem will ignite clashes in the Middle East.

Despite widespread regional and international opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump last Wednesday announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

According to Trump, the U.S. State Department has already begun preparations to relocate Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The dramatic shift in U.S. policy sparked demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories and several Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.