Erdogan and Macron to urge US to repeal Jerusalem decision

The Turkish and French leaders have agreed to join forces to press US President Donald Trump to reconsider his decision to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The decision would officially recognise the contested city as the capital of Israel.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and France's President Emmanuel Macron spoke over the phone on Saturday, during which they both voiced their concern over the profound and dangerous impact the decision could have on the region, according to a Turkish presidential source.

The two leaders agreed to launch a united effort to convince the US leader to rethink the deeply controversial decision, announced on Wednesday.

Since the announcement, protests have erupted around the world. In Gaza, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces on Friday when clashes turned deadly. Israeli airstrikes against Gaza, launched on Saturday, have killed a further two Palestinians.

The international community have unanimously condemned the decision, citing the irreparable damage it could have on peace efforts in the region.

President Erdogan has been one of the fiercest critics of the controversial move, threatening last week that Turkey "could go as far as" cutting relations with Israel. In a biting speech made on Saturday, the Turkish leader upped his criticism of Israel, labelling it a "state of occupation" which uses "terror" against the Palestinians.

Emmanuel Macron has condemned the decision as "regrettable", stating that it "goes against international law and all the resolutions of the UN Security Council".

“The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,” he added.

The French president has formed close ties with the Trump administration since taking office, and reportedly called the US president earlier this week in an attempt to dissuade him from his Jerusalem decision.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists staged a march in Paris on Saturday, protesting Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's state visit to the French capital on Sunday.

Protesters carried pictures of President Macron labelled as "accomplice" for hosting the Israeli leader in the wake of the Jerusalem controversy.