Erdogan, Putin warn of grave ramifications to US Jerusalem move

ANKARA, Dec 11 (KUNA) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have warned that the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel could have grave consequences.
In a joint press conference in Ankara Monday, Erdogan described US President Donald Trump's Jerusalem decision as irresponsible move which would have negative impacts on Muslims, Christians and even some Jews across the globe.
He lamented that Israeli troops had killed at least four Palestinians and wounded hundreds others in the protests sparked by the US move.
"It is not possible for someone who has conscience, morals, principles, values to ignore these murders," he said.
He expressed hopes that the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Ankara on Wednesday would deliver a strong message in response to Trump's decision.
On the Syrian dossier, the Turkish President unveiled that Turkey and Russia are working on a comprehensive solution to the seven-year civil conflict in Syria.
On bilateral relations, Erdogan said that his country would finalize a deal with Russia to purchase its sophisticated S-400 missile defense system this week.
He asserted that trade exchange between Ankara and Moscow have been growing steadily this year.
"Our bilateral trade volume with Russia increased 30 percent as of the first 10 months of 2017," he said.
For his part, Russian President cautioned that the US move would further complicate the situation in the region.
He stressed the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions and direct negotiations are the only solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
"The status of Jerusalem should be addressed through direct contacts between Israel and Palestine," he said. (end) rs.ibi