Erdogan: Turkey to continue Jerusalem watch with 84M altogether

Turkey, with its entire population of 84 million, will continue to watch as events unfold in Jerusalem, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Monday.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdogan called on the UN, UNSC, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other international organizations to take action against the oppression of Palestinians, as well as of Jerusalem.

He added that Turkey would lend its political and military support for international efforts to liberate Jerusalem and protect the Palestinian people.

Erdogan proposed a commission with Jewish, Muslim and Christian representatives to govern Jerusalem.

Accusing Israel of being a "terrorist state" and violating Jerusalem, seen as holy by these three faiths, he also said it was "ruthlessly" bombing civilians in Gaza.

Erdogan said that those supporting Israeli actions in Jerusalem and Gaza would go down in history as being complicit in child murder and crimes against humanity.

He also criticized his US counterpart Joe Biden for signing an arms deal with Israel and condemned Austria for flying an Israeli flag from its Chancellery building, saying that Vienna "seems to be trying to make Muslims pay for genocide to which it subjected Jews."

 Turkey neutralizes PKK's ringleader

"PKK terror group's ringleader in Syria, codenamed Sofi Nurettin, was neutralized by Turkish forces in northern Iraq," Erdogan said during the press conference, adding that the neutralized terrorist was guilty of many attacks against Turkish soldiers in Turkey's anti-terror operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch.

The case of the neutralized terrorist demonstrates that the PKK/KCK and PYD/YPG are the same organization, said Erdogan.

The terrorist was also among the high-ranking members of the PKK terror group, which ordered the killings of 13 Turkish civilians in the Gara region of northern Iraq.

"I remind you that the same fate awaits everyone who betrays this country, fires a bullet, harms our people, threatens the integrity of our country, the unity of our nation and the survival of our state," he said.

COVID-19 in Turkey

COVID-19 infections in Turkey have been brought under control thanks to the partial and full lockdown measures during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the Turkish president added.

"We hope that from now on, there will be no need for measures as extensive and restrictive as before," said Erdogan, as Turkey began its gradual normalization from the 17-day full lockdown.

Erdogan said the government would continue to distribute financial aid to small business owners who had been severely affected by the pandemic.