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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had expressed his grief over the violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during a phone call Tuesday with his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog. The Turkish leader has warned against threats to the status of this mosque.
Erdogan’s statements come after weekend clashes between Palestinians and Israelis at the shrine. According to reports, 170 people were injured, most of them Palestinian protesters who clashed with Israeli security forces.
The violence comes almost a year after similar tensions sparked an 11-day conflict between Israel and militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Aqsa is considered a holy place for Muslims and Jews.
Israeli security forces during clashes with Palestinian protesters in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on April 15, 2022.
After a weekend of violence, tensions escalated further with Israel launching its first air strike in months on the Gaza Strip. The attack that took place on Tuesday morning hit areas inhabited by Palestinians.
Erdogan said on Twitter that he had told President Herzog that “the fact that the Al-Aqsa Mosque has been raided by fanatical groups after morning prayers yesterday and the day before yesterday.” “And the spread of tensions in Gaza adds to our grief.”
He said that “these images that we see every year because of some radicals that hurt the conscience and cause justified reactions throughout the Islamic world.”
Erdogan told the Israeli president:
“In this sensitive period, I want to emphasize once again the need not to allow provocations and threats against the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Palestinians and Israeli security forces in Jerusalem. April 17, 2022.
The Turkish leader also reiterated his calls for everyone to “make every effort” to preserve this spiritual and sacred place.
Israel and Turkey have declared a new era of relations after suspending diplomatic relations for more than a decade after Herzog paid a visit to Ankara in March.
Erdogan, an advocate for the Palestinian cause, has in the past criticized Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
Turkey has relations with Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007./REL
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