'Islamic world should be united against Israel's attacks in Palestine,' Turkish president tells Iranian counterpart
Erdoğan blames the Israeli police for the recent clashes in and around Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
"The Islamic world should be united against Israel's attacks in Palestine," Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi during a recent phone conversation.
The Turkish and Iranian leaders blamed the Jewish state for the recent clashes between Muslim rioters and the Israel Police on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, according to Turkish media.
"I condemn the vile acts against the first qiblah of Muslims in the name of my country and people, and I call for the attacks to be halted as soon as possible," said Erdoğan. He stressed that the clashes at the Al Aqsa Mosque constituted a "red line" for the Turkish government.
The two leaders reportedly stressed the need to maintain the so-called status quo of the contested sacred sites in Jerusalem. In addition, Erdoğan and Raisi also discussed Iranian-Turkish diplomatic ties.
On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu condemned Israel's actions on the Temple Mount and aerial bombings in Lebanon and Gaza during a phone conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
Çavuşoğlu reportedly told Cohen that “it is unacceptable” to use force against Muslim worshippers during the Muslim month of Ramadan. The Israeli foreign minister reportedly responded by stressing that the Israeli security forces would not tolerate any terrorism against Israeli civilians. It is unclear whether the Turkish top diplomat mentioned the conduct of the violent Muslim rioters.
A Palestinian terrorist recently murdered two Israeli sisters who traveled by car with their mother in the Jordan Valley. The mother is currently in critical condition. Later the same day, an Israeli Arab murdered an Italian tourist in Tel Aviv and wounded another seven tourists in a car ramming and shooting attack.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
