Ammon News - Deputy Chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti), Numan Kurtulmus, has said that his country supports the Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian shrines and appreciates the Kingdom's efforts in defending the Palestinian cause and welcoming refugees.

Kurtulmus made the remarks during a meeting Wednesday with a delegation from the Lower House's Palestine Committee headed by MP Muhammad Al-Dhahrawi, the "Parliamentarians for Jerusalem Association and members of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad.

Kurtulmus stressed that the Palestinian cause is the key to peace, indicating that the "Turkish people sees the Palestinian cause as a national issue and defending it is a political priority and a humanitarian duty for all OIC member states".

He added: "We have a historical responsibility, both in terms of maintaining the Islamic cultural presence in Palestine, and highlighting human rights violations and the Israeli occupation imposed on the Palestinian people at the international arena."

For his part, Al-Dhahrawi stressed the importance of the Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian shrines and its role in maintaining the legal status of the holy sites, underlining Jordan's firm position in defending the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to establish their state with Jerusalem as its capital.