Turkey’s foreign ministry on Thursday condemned the remarks made by Gilad Erdan Israel’s public security minister to change the historical status quo of the Aqsa Mosque.
“We utterly reject the statements of the Israeli minister of public security regarding changing the status quo at the Aqsa Mosque. This is an indication of a distorted mindset” the foreign ministry statement said.
“It is clear that any insinuation and step intended to prejudice the historical and legal status of Jerusalem will further exacerbate the tension in the region” the statement said.
The statement said that the Israeli authorities should be urged to put an end to their illegal practices in the occupied Palestinian territories avoid irresponsible actions and statements that would increase tensions in the region.
Gilad Erdan told the Hebrew Radio on Tuesday that he thought there was an injustice in the status quo that has existed since 1967.
“We need to work to change [the status quo] so in the future Jews with the help of God can pray at the temple mount” he added.
Israel occupied east Jerusalem where Aqsa is located during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. In 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community Israel annexed the entire city claiming it as the self-proclaimed Jewish state’s “eternal and undivided” capital.
For Muslims the Aqsa Mosque represents the world’s third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina. Jews falsely refer to the area as the “temple mount” claiming it was the site of Jewish temples in ancient times.
