Leaders from 57 Islamic nations have announced that they now officially recognise occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, in response to the recognition of the city as Israel's capital by U.S. President Donald Trump.

A statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) declared Trump's decision 'null and void legally' and 'a deliberate undermining of all peace efforts' that would give impetus to 'extremism and terrorism.'

The OIC, which includes the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan, gathered in Istanbul, Turkey today for an emergency summit in response to Trump's announcement last week.

Unified stance: Left to right are Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who all released a joint-statement

In a statement released today, the OIC leaders said they regarded Trump's move 'as an announcement of the US administration's withdrawal from its role as sponsor of peace' in the Middle East.

The step by Washington amounted to 'encouragement of Israel... to continue its policy of colonialism, settlement, apartheid and ethnic cleansing,' it added.

Opening the summit this morning, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israel, calling it a 'terror state.'

'I am inviting the countries who value international law and fairness to recognise occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine,' Erdogan told the summit, saying Islamic countries would 'never give up' on this demand.

He said in his speech to the gathering that Jerusalem is a 'red line' for Muslims who will not accept any aggression on its Islamic sanctuaries.

Picking sides: Backdropped by a map of Israel and Palestine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Extraordinary Summit in Istanbul on Wednesday

Meanwhile, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, who did not attend the meeting today, said that Palestinians have the right to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital.

'The kingdom has called for a political solution to resolve regional crises, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and the restoration of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, including the right to establish their independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital,' the king said in an address to the kingdom's Consultative Council.

The king renewed his condemnation of President Donald Trump's decision, saying it 'represents an extreme bias against the rights of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem that have been guaranteed by international resolutions'.

Jerusalem's status is at the core of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Trump's announcement last week was widely perceived as siding with Israel. It also raised fears of more bloodshed as past crises over Jerusalem had triggered violent outbreaks.

Most countries around the world have not recognized Israel's 1967 annexation of east Jerusalem. Under a long-standing international consensus, the fate of the city is to be determined in negotiations.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, Jordanian King Abdullah II and top ministers of numerous nations were to attend the gathering in Istanbul.

Palestinian lawyers wave their national flag during clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Ramallah today

Palestinian protestors throw stones towards Israeli security forces during clashes following a demonstration in Ramallah today

In an emergency meeting in Cairo last weekend, Arab foreign ministers demanded that the United States rescind Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

In a resolution long on rhetoric but short on concrete actions, the ministers also called for the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution condemning Trump's decision, but acknowledged that Washington would most likely veto it.

Israel has considered Jerusalem its capital since the state's establishment in 1948 and sees the city as the ancient capital of the Jewish people. In the 1967 Mideast war, Israel captured the city's eastern sector and later annexed it in a move that is not recognized internationally.

The Palestinians equally lay claim to Jerusalem and want the eastern part of the city as capital of their future state. Some 200,000 Palestinians live in that part of the city and Palestinians claim a deep cultural, historical and religious connection to the city.

The Old City, located in east Jerusalem, is home to sites holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. These include the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site.