Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan (R) arrive for a news conference following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal/Files

 

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Thursday and expressed serious concern about Washington?s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel?s capital, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

?Both sides expressed serious concern in connection with the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the announcement of plans to transfer the American embassy there from Tel Aviv. Such steps can cancel out prospects for a Middle East peace process,? the Kremlin said in a statement.

?They noted that a further escalation of tension in the region cannot be allowed.

"The efforts of the international community should be directed to facilitating a renewal of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations with the aim of seeking compromise solutions to all the problems, including the question of Jerusalem?s status.?

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reversed decades of US policy and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imperilling Middle East peace efforts and upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.