Turkey criticizes Arab states’ ‘weakness’ ahead of Istanbul summit on Jerusalem

Ankara has criticized what it called a feeble Arab reaction to the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, on the eve of Wednesday’s Muslim summit in Istanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has accused the US of ignoring Palestinian claims to east Jerusalem and of “trampling on international law,” has invited leaders from more than 50 Muslim countries to agree a response, Reuters reports. Several countries had still not said who they would send to Istanbul. “Some Arab countries have shown very weak responses,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. “It seems some countries are very timid of the US.” Egypt and the United Arab Emirates will send foreign ministers, while Saudi Arabia had yet to say how it would participate.