Türkiye condemns Israeli forces storm into al-Aqsa Mosque

ANKARA

Türkiye condemned on April 5 that Israeli forces stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City and called on Israel’s government to immediately cease “provocations.”

“We condemn the Israeli security forces raiding Al-Aqsa Mosque, intervening in the Qibla Masjid and detaining many Palestinian civilians by violating the sanctity of the Haram al-Sharif and the historical status quo since last night,” said the Foreign Ministry in a written statement.

These “attacks” against worshippers in Masjid al-Aqsa in the holy month of Ramadan are “in no way acceptable,” said the statement.

Ankara also expressed concern for “escalation that has already spread to the region,” especially in Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government must immediately cease all provocations, actions and attacks that may lead to a further escalation of tensions in the region, said the statement.

Israeli police stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City early April 5, firing stun grenades at Palestinian youths who hurled firecrackers at them in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes.

The fighting, coming as Muslims mark the holiday month of Ramadan and Jews prepare to begin the Passover festival on the night of April 5, raised fears of a wider conflagration.

Türkiye and Israel are through a normalization process after years of tension mainly due to the Palestinian cause.

Türkiye and Israel had withdrawn their envoys in 2018 after the latter’s security forces killed scores of civilian Palestinians protesting the United States’ decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The ties between the two nations have long been suffering in the past decade, first due to the “One Minute” crisis in Davos and later the killing of 10 Turkish men by the Israeli commandos in an incident dubbed the Mavi Marmara crisis.