Ankara Several Turkish officials criticized Israel and called for other countries to voice condemnation, while a Foreign Ministry statement urged Israel to “immediately end its provocative and hostile stance and act with reason.”
“Shame on Israel and those who keep silent in the face of disgraceful attacks,” Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter late on Friday.
“We call on everyone to stand up against the policies of occupation and aggression of this apartheid state,” he said.
Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun told state television Israel was violating human rights and would “pay the price,” as opposition parties echoed the government condemnation in a rare sign of unity.
“Attacking innocent people praying is clearly terror,” Altun said. “We see that these attacks on Palestinians are against the most fundamental human rights.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also condemned Israel on Saturday over recent events in Jerusalem, saying in a tweet written in Hebrew that “We strongly condemn Israel’s heinous attacks against our first qibla #AlAqsaMosque, which unfortunately take place every Ramadan.”
“As Turkey, we will continue to stand by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in all circumstances,” Erdoğan added.
Former allies Turkey and Israel have had a bitter falling-out in recent years despite strong commercial ties, mutually expelling ambassadors in 2018.
Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians, calling the issue a “red line.”
Last month, Turkey also condemned what it said was Israel’s “systematic attempt at evicting Palestinians,” referring to the long-running legal case that Israel’s Supreme Court will hold a hearing over on Monday
