Türkiye says Israeli minister's provocative action against Al-Aqsa Mosque 'unacceptable'

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - In phone call with his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday, Türkiye's foreign minister said the Israeli national security minister's provocative action against Al-Aqsa Mosque is "unacceptable."

Recalling the country's sensitivities and expectations regarding the Palestinian cause, Mevlut Cavusoglu told Eli Cohen: "We find Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's provocative actions against Al-Aqsa Mosque unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Türkiye expects "all kinds of provocative actions to be avoided," Cavusoglu said, underlying the importance Ankara attaches to preserving the status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Turkish diplomat also congratulated Cohen for assuming charge.

On Tuesday, Israel’s new National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa complex despite warnings that the move would stir unrest, drawing a storm of condemnations from countries across the world.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, meanwhile, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.