By Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Tuesday “strongly” condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by hundreds of radical Israelis.
“We strongly condemn the entry and violent attack of thousands of Zionists into the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the presence of the Israeli police, which derives all its power from the silence of the world,” said Altun on X.
Stating that “the vile attack” on the Al-Aqsa Mosque is unacceptable, Altun urged “all of humanity to raise a strong voice against Israel, which feeds on blood and provocation.”
He also called on “everyone with morality and conscience to hear the cry of Al-Aqsa.”
“We cannot remain silent; we must not. We need to unite our hearts and say 'stop' to barbarism,” he further stated.
“On the other hand, we want it to be known that the occupying Israel, which disregards human rights and international law by martyring tens of thousands of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, including the elderly, women, and children, will be held accountable sooner or later,” he further added.
Saying that Tel Aviv’s actions will never go “unpunished,” Altun reiterated Türkiye’s support to the Palestinian people and their cause “to the end.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Yitzhak Wasserlauf, alongside far-right Jewish groups, stormed Al-Aqsa under police protection to commemorate Tisha B'Av, an annual Jewish fast day that marks the occurrence of several disasters in Jewish history.
About 2,250 Jewish extremists participated in the raid, with some performing Talmudic rituals within the mosque, according to reports.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, believing it to be the location of two ancient Jewish temples.