Türkiye, other Muslim nations condemn Israel's Ramadan restrictions at Al-Aqsa
Eight countries urge Israel to lift limits on worshippers’ access to occupied East Jerusalem’s holy sites and respect the longstanding status quo.
Türkiye and seven other Muslim-majority countries have condemned restrictions imposed by Israel on Muslim worshippers’ access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during the holy month of Ramadan, calling for the measures to be immediately reversed.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar criticised what they described as ongoing violations affecting worshippers in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City.
The ministers said security restrictions limiting access to the Old City and its places of worship constitute a “flagrant violation” of international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the historical and legal status quo governing the holy sites.
They urged the international community to take a firm stance to compel Israel to halt violations against Islamic and Christian religious sites in occupied East Jerusalem.
Dispute over control of holy site
The ministers also rejected what they described as Israeli actions at the mosque compound — known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif — stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied East Jerusalem or its religious sites.
The joint statement reaffirmed that the entire 144-dunam compound is an exclusively Muslim place of worship and falls under the jurisdiction of the Jordanian Waqf Authority, which administers the site.
The ministers called on Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately reopen the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque, lift access restrictions to the Old City, and refrain from obstructing Muslim worshippers seeking to pray there.