TURKEY tr-diplomacy

Erdoğan: Israeli stance on united Jerusalem is 'madness'

SIRTE, Libya — Agence France-Presse | 3/28/2010 12:00:00 AM |

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasted Israel's policy of considering the whole of Jerusalem as its united capital as "madness" in a speech at the Arab summit on Saturday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blasted Israel's policy of considering the whole of Jerusalem as its united capital as "madness" in a speech at the Arab summit on Saturday.

"This is madness, and it does not commit us in any way," Erdoğan said, whose address in Turkish was translated into Arabic.

"Jerusalem is the apple of the eye of each and every Muslim ... and we cannot at all accept any Israeli violation in Jerusalem or in Muslim sites," the Turkish prime minister added.

The two-day summit hosted by Libya in its Mediterranean city of Sirte is expected to discuss a common strategy against Israel over its plans to build new Jewish homes in annexed east Jerusalem.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, as host, also invited U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as well as Erdoğan to address the opening session.