Turkey condemns Israeli settlement expansion

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has strongly denounced the construction of new settlements in occupied east Jerusalem by Israel.

"News of the planned new settlements in east Jerusalem has shocked the world because it is a very blatant violation of the decisions made at the Middle East Peace Conference in Annapolis last month," Gul told reporters in Ankara at a press conference with Jordan's King Abdullah.

"I hope that Israeli leaders would take a step back and correct this and that it would not allow any group to take any action that could be detrimental to the peace process," Gul said.

King Abdullah also criticized the Israeli plan, saying that peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians 'should be accompanied by the implementation of the parties' obligations on the ground, including an end to Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.