Erdoğan holds phone calls with Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi leaders ahead of OIC summit on Israeli violence


President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke on Tuesday over the phone with Jordanian King Abdullah II, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad over recent developments at the Gaza border.According to Turkish presidential sources, Erdoğan spoke to King Abdullah II and the Malaysian prime minister separately. The leaders discussed the U.S.' relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem and the Israeli troops' assault against Palestinians, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media. They also discussed possible steps to be taken over Israeli violence ahead of a planned emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday in Istanbul.Later on Tuesday, Erdoğan spoke over the phone with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah over the recent developments at Gaza border.Erdoğan and Kuwaiti Emir stressed the importance of showing a common stance by the Muslim countries against Israeli violence in Palestine, the source said. The two leaders also discussed upcoming OIC summit in Istanbul.On Tuesday night, the Turkish president also spoke with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz over the phone and discussed the Israeli violence in Gaza and Friday's OIC summit. On Monday, Erdoğan, who is in London for three-day official talks, had spoken to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas over the phone. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 62 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by cross-border Israeli gunfire in one of the deadliest single-day massacres in the country's history. Thousands of Palestinians gathered on the Gaza Strip's eastern border Monday to take part in mass rallies to commemorate the Nakba anniversary and protest the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Since the border rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Last week, the Israeli government said the ongoing border protests constituted a "state of war" in which international humanitarian law did not apply.