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

 

In phone call with Israeli counterpart, foreign minister Cavusoglu emphasizes Ankara's sensitivities on Palestinian cause

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.