The Foreign Ministry of Turkey released a statement on Thursday, condemning a Wednesday raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs Yitzhak Wasserlauf and a group of illegal Israeli settlers.
“We condemn the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque carried out by an Israeli minister accompanied by a group of settlers,” the statement read.
Turkey warned that aggressive actions that violate the historical and legal status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a Muslim holy site, could potentially escalate the tensions and instability on the region. The statement pushed the global community to protect Palestinian rights and stop Israeli violations in occupied East Jerusalem and its holy sites.
Turkey’s Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran expressed disapproval of the raid, stating, “I strongly condemn the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque carried out by an Israeli minister accompanied by extremist occupiers. These provocative actions are a clear attack on sacred values, regional peace and human conscience.”
He further added, “This attempt targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque is unacceptable. It disregards the legal and historical status of Jerusalem and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The international community must not remain silent and must take a firm and effective stance against ongoing violations.”
Wasserlauf, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has a history of storming the mosque compound alongside party leader and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, sparking backlash from Palestinians, Muslim and Arab countries.
Many far-right Israeli groups had called for further invasions into the compound to commemorate the anniversary of the 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem on Thursday.
While Tel Aviv celebrated its annual Jerusalem Day on Thursday with a flag march, involving extremists attacking Palestinians in the Christian quarter and vandalising property, Palestinians observed Nakba Day on Friday, marking the mass displacement and ethnic cleansing of the population in 1948, leading to the creation of Israel.
