Türkiye on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s reported attempts to change the historical and legal status of Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, calling it a violation of international law and an assault on Palestinian rights and human values.
“We reject Israel’s attempts to alter the status of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and to usurp the authority of the Palestinian people,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry urged relevant United Nations agencies, particularly UNESCO, along with the broader international community, to take concrete steps to stop what it described as Israel’s illegal and provocative actions.
Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, is one of the most sacred sites for Muslims and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories for decades.
Türkiye emphasized that any unilateral moves by Israel to change the character or administrative authority of the site would further inflame tensions in the region and undermine efforts for peace and coexistence.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair Zafer Sırakaya also reacted strongly to the move, declaring that the Harma al-Ibrahim Mosque is a “shared heritage not only of Palestinians but of the entire Islamic world.”
In a statement shared on social media, Sırakaya stated that Türkiye "strongly condemns the steps taken by Israel's war cabinet against the Haram al-Ibrahim Mosque," underscoring the deep concern these actions have provoked.
Sırakaya emphasized that such practices constitute a clear violation of international law, particularly in light of the obligation to preserve the status of holy sites located within the occupied Palestinian territories as defined by the 1967 borders.
“Unilateral attempts to change the status of this holy site clearly contradict the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Convention, and the relevant resolutions of the U.N. Security Council. The international community, particularly responsible actors at the United Nations and UNESCO, must take an active and resolute stance against such steps by Israel,” Sırakaya said.
He further warned that any effort to impose a de facto situation on the ground that undermines the vision of a two-state solution and endangers peace in the region must be abandoned immediately.
Türkiye and the AK Party, he said, will continue to stand firmly with the Palestinian people and, as defenders of international law, will undertake all necessary diplomatic efforts to preserve the historical and religious status of the Haram al-Ibrahim Mosque and prevent further violations of the sanctity of holy sites.
