Turkey: Annexation of West Bank is a Crime

Ankara, MINA – Turkey today called on the international community to condemn Israel’s plan to annex the West Bank.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the occupation and annexation are crimes, calling on the world to take a stand, MEMO reported.

“We reject Israel’s plan to annex the West Bank and call for the world to take a stand against it. Occupation and annexation is a crime,” Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter.

Kalin said Turkey is ready to cooperate with authorities who are willing to take action against the occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.

The annexation of 30 per cent of Area C of the West Bank – including all the settlements therein – could begin to move forward as early as 1 July, under the terms of the coalition agreement signed last week between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Party head Benny Gantz.

The annexation comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “deal of the century” plan, which was announced in January.

The deal refers to Jerusalem as “Israel’s undivided capital” and recognises Israel’s sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank.

The plan drew widespread criticism from the Arab world and was rejected by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which urged all member states not to engage with it or to cooperate with the US administration in implementing it in any form.(T/R3/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)