Türkiye on Thursday condemned a Wednesday raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque led by an Israeli minister along with 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 Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement warned that provocative actions violating the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim holy site, risk further deepening tensions and instability in the region.
The statement urged the global community to fulfill its responsibilities to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and stop Israeli violations targeting occupied East Jerusalem and its holy sites.
Burhanettin Duran, Türkiye's Head of Communications, also condemned the raid, saying: “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.”
“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,” he added.
Israeli Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs Yitzhak Wasserlauf stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday, two days before Israel marks the anniversary of its occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, according to the Hebrew calendar.
Wasserlauf, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has previously entered the compound alongside Ben-Gvir in visits that drew condemnation from Palestinians, Muslim and Arab countries.
Far-right Israeli groups have called for further incursions into the mosque compound to mark the anniversary of the 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem and have planned a flag march in the city later on Thursday.
