Turkey is planning to gather the “Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Groups” of countries early in 2018 in Istanbul. A high participation rate is expected.
Meeting with abstaining states
Extensive diplomacy efforts will be made on various platforms so that Trump steps back as part of the decision taken at the UN. The addressees will once again be informed about Turkey’s stance on Palestine and Jerusalem, and they will be asked for their support. These issues will be shared particularly with the member states that abstained from casting a vote at the UNGA, and they will tried to be convinced to change their opinion in favor of Palestine. The states that do not recognize Palestine as a state will also be contacted.
Ending Israeli occupation
Besides all these initiatives, Turkey will address the settlement of the dispute between Palestine and Israel.
Jerusalem is sacred to both Muslims and Jews, as it includes sites known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary), al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the rock, as well as an ancient Jewish temple.
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 future Palestinian state.
Despite widespread international opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 6 announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said preparations would begin to move the U.S. embassy there.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then invited leaders of over 50 Muslim nations to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Istanbul to formulate a joint response to Trump's decision.
The OIC communique declared East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital and said that the U.S.’s Jerusalem decision was an announcement of its withdrawal from its role as a sponsor of peace.
A resolution rejecting Trump’s decision was then adopted at a rare emergency special session on Thursday at the UN General Assembly, where the U.S. does not have veto powers.
A total of 128 members voted in favor of the resolution, nine countries voted against and 35 others abstained.