Turkish, Israeli FMs discuss recent events in Al-Aqsa Mosque

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, that Türkiye welcomes the decision to ban non-Muslim entries into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem until the end of Ramadan to de-escalate tensions.

In a phone call, Çavuşoğlu and his Israeli counterpart Cohen discussed the latest developments regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Turkish diplomatic sources said, Daily Sabah informs.

The phone call came a day after a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on the prohibition of Jewish visitors and tourists "from going up to the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque complex) until the end of Ramadan."

Çavuşoğlu emphasized that provocations should not be repeated in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

 The minister also said Türkiye will make every possible contribution to reducing the tension, according to the sources.

The tension escalated across the Palestinian territories after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem and forcibly removed worshipers last week.

The Israeli raids on the mosque triggered rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, with Israel retaliating with air and artillery shelling.

Palestinians accuse Israel of systematically working to Judaize East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, and obliterate its Arab and Islamic identity.

 For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.

Each year, Israeli forces ramp up violent and oppressive policies against Palestinians during the month of Ramadan.

Known for its unbreakable solidarity with Palestinians, Türkiye has been voicing support for the Palestinian cause in the international realm for decades. Turkish authorities emphasize that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is through a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of international law and United Nations resolutions.

Despite the recent rapprochement, Turkish officials continue to criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.