Türkiye on Thursday condemned a raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque led by an Israeli minister along with a group of occupiers.
"We condemn the raid on Al-Aqsa Mosque carried out by an Israeli minister accompanied by a group of settlers," said the country's Foreign Ministry in a statement.
The statement warned that provocative actions violating the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina – risk further regional tension and instability.
"Such provocative acts, which violate the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a holy site belonging to Muslims, risk further deepening tensions and instability in the region," the ministry said.
The statement also urged the world to protect the rights of the Palestinian people and stop Israeli violations in the occupied East Jerusalem and its holy sites.
"We reiterate our call on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and preventing violations in occupied East Jerusalem and against its holy sites."
Earlier Wednesday, Israeli Minister of Negev and Galilee Affairs Yitzhak Wasserlauf stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, two days before the anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the city.
Wasserlauf is a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Both Ben-Gvir and Wasserlauf had previously forced their way into the Al-Aqsa compound, drawing a wave of condemnations from Palestinians and Arab countries.
Wednesday’s raid comes two days before Israel marks the anniversary of its occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, according to the Hebrew calendar.
Far-right Israeli organizations have called on supporters to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark Israel’s occupation of the city. They also plan a flag march scheduled on Thursday evening in East Jerusalem.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
