Türkiye 'strongly' condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli minister, far-right settlers

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye on Thursday “strongly” condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and far-right settlers.

“We call on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures in a serious manner to restrain these provocations which violate the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its historical status based on the international law, and to prevent escalation of the tension,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

On Wednesday, far-right Jewish settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, according to an official from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf.

More than 340 settlers entered the Haram al-Sharif area under Israeli police protection.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews 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.

Israeli forces and fanatical Jewish settlers frequently carry out raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque to provoke Palestinians, and recent years have seen the incursions grow larger and more brazen.

Türkiye strongly supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.