16 December 2017•Update: 17 December 2017
By Sorwar Alam and Meryem Goktas
ANKARA
The Muslim world is the target of plots to reshape it to the benefit of others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Saturday.
"Like a century ago, the Islamic world is facing efforts to reshape it through blood, tears, and strife between brothers," Erdogan said in Istanbul, at the 7th Hadith and Sira Studies Awards Ceremony.
He called on people "to be prepared for attacks which try to bring down Muslims from within."
"When Muslims are at odds, the ones that benefit are terrorist groups, and countries like Israel that use state terror," he said.
Erdogan also reiterated his condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Also on Saturday, in an address at the Yalova Provincial Congress of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan urged the UN and the Security Council to take action against Trump's move on Jerusalem.
"If you [UN, Security Council] will not, we will approach relevant authorities within the legal framework," he said.
'Turkey to support Palestine'
"Turkey will not stop defending Palestine or Jerusalem just because Israel wants it to.
"We supported our brothers and sisters in Bosnia, in the Caucasus and around the world. We are doing the same today, more strongly and more decisively, and we will continue doing so.
"We will never give up this task that our ancestors have entrusted us with," he added.
Erdogan also stated that Turkey will not allow the establishment of a terrorist state in Syria and will not watch the division of Iraq based on sect and ethnicity.
''We will not allow EU, NATO or any other power to belittle our country, our people," he said.
He said recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel was tantamount to rewarding Israel for state terrorism towards Palestinians.
Citing the example of 16-year-old Fawz al-Juneidi, who was detained in the West Bank city of Hebron last week and dragged away blindfolded by a dozen armed Israeli soldiers, he said: "There is no justification for inhuman treatment of Israeli soldiers against innocent, unarmed civilians."
'Israeli terrorism'
The Palestinian boy has since then been held in Israeli custody until a lawyer managed to meet him at the Ofter military prison.
Erdogan emphasized that if these violations had been made by a state other than Israel, the world would have reacted differently.
"If the international system, under the umbrella of the UN, does not create mechanisms to stop the ongoing injustices, humanity will be dragged into great chaos," he said.
Following Trump’s announcement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) this week issued a declaration recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.
Erdogan said the OIC move would create a multiplier effect, encouraging other nations to follow in its lead.
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 Palestinian state.
