Turkey strongly condemned Israel over its decision to go ahead with the construction of over 1,200 new homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, a Turkish official statement said on Thursday.

Israel's decision to build new homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is a clear violation of international law, and Ankara urged Israel to live up to its international commitments which will pave the way for enduring peace in the Middle East, the statement released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry read.

The statement also said Turkey expects Israel to immediately halt the settlement activities, which jeopardize prospects for a two-state solution.

Israel claims annexed East Jerusalem as part of its capital and does not consider the Jewish areas there to be settlements, an act not recognized by the international community.