‘Tel Aviv’s aggressiveness risks efforts to end violence in Middle East’
The Turkish Foreign Ministry and Parliament have urged Israel to end its military-driven aggression and pointed out that the legal rights and demands of the Palestinians cannot be suppressed
TURKEY yesterday strongly condemned Israeli attacks against Palestinians in Al-Aqsa Mosque and Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip that killed innocent civilians including children, noting that Israel’s aggressive and provocative policies will not contribute to efforts to end violence in the Middle East and to ensure dialogue and reconciliation prevail. Turkey strongly condemns the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip that killed innocent civilians, including children, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated yesterday, while expressing condolences and wishing the injured a quick recovery.
“Israel, which tries to expel the Palestinian people from their lands in East Jerusalem and the West Bank amid holy Ramadan while intervening in Palestinians that want to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque, is the main party responsible for events reaching this degree,” the ministry said in a written statement.
“It is obvious that Israel’s aggressive and provocative policies will not contribute to efforts toward ending violence in the Middle East and reasserting dialogue and consensus.”
The ministry further added that Israel must stop using military means and understand that it cannot suppress the legal rights and demands of the Palestinian people using disproportionate force.
All five political parties in the Turkish Parliament also condemned Israeli attacks against Palestinians in Al-Aqsa Mosque, in a joint declaration issued late Monday.
Noting that Israel’s violence, repressive policies and attempts to obstruct freedom of worship of unarmed civilians in Jerusalem have taken on a worrying dimension on the eve of the Muslim holiday Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr, the declaration strongly condemned the “oppression and lawlessness.”
THE JOINT declaration also highlighted that Israel’s attempts to forcefully evict Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and other neighborhoods in Jerusalem are inhumane and illegal.
They called on all international institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and U.N. General Assembly (UNGA), to stop Israel’s excesses in Jerusalem.
“As the Turkish Parliament, we declare that we will always continue to react to Israel’s aggressive actions aimed at eroding the status of Jerusalem and the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount), and (Israel’s) attempts to usurp the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” read the statement.
“We strongly declare that we will continue to defend the Palestinian cause and (support) the struggle of the brotherly Palestinian people for freedom, justice and independence.”
DIPLOMACY TRAFFIC
Turkish authorities have intensified diplomatic efforts to put an end to Israeli aggression against the Palestinians.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday spoke with the rulers of Qatar and Malaysia to discuss Israel’s attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinians, as Turkey pledged to take concrete action against the aggression.
In his phone call with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Erdoğan discussed the attacks and highlighted the importance of Turkey and Qatar’s joint efforts to mobilize countries in the region, a statement from the presidency said.
Meanwhile, in his conversation with Malaysian King Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Erdoğan highlighted the necessity of uniting against Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and attacks targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Stressing the importance of banding together in the face of the oppression Palestinians suffer due to Israel’s attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, President Erdoğan expressed his confidence that Turkey and Malaysia would act in close cooperation at all relevant platforms, particularly at the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” a statement by the presidency said.
On Monday, Erdoğan held phone calls with the leaders of Jordan and Kuwait. Earlier on the same day, diplomatic sources also confirmed to Daily Sabah that Turkey will strengthen diplomacy for Palestine with members of the OIC, will bring Israeli attacks to the table in the UNSC meeting and hold meetings with world leaders and members of the UNSC.
The Foreign Ministry also stated that Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu continues to hold phone calls with the OIC secretary-general and regional countries, as well as his counterparts in several European countries, to ease tensions and ensure Israel gives up on its aggressive stance.
The aim of these efforts is to de-escalate tensions in the region and to put an end to Israel’s aggression, it added.
According to diplomatic sources, Çavuşoğlu held separate phone calls with his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts on the latest developments in Palestine.
During the talks, he discussed steps to be taken in the international arena against Israeli aggression, said the sources.
Çavuşoğlu held several phone calls on Monday with his Moroccan, Iranian, Algerian, Pakistani, Russian, Palestinian and Tunisian counterparts after the Israeli attacks on Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
‘TURKEY TO STAND WITH PALESTINE’
Turkey will defend Palestinian rights and stand with Palestinians, the country’s communications director also said yesterday.
Referring to the Israeli attacks on Palestinians and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun posted a series of tweets with footage showing the Israeli attacks.
“Imagine a state that steals and occupies land. Imagine innocent civilians denied basic human rights. Imagine women, children and the elderly harassed daily. Imagine the human dignity of a people violated,” he said.
“Imagine the most sacred temple is attacked on the most sacred day of that religion. Imagine pilgrims to the Vatican are attacked by fanatics who are aided by armed forces. Imagine Christmas or Hanukkah services in New York interrupted by violence.”
Pointing to what Palestinians are going through, he said: “Imagine a peace process that only results in the deepening of occupation. Imagine people under occupation in Paris who cannot even hold elections. Imagine people in London denied their civil rights and freedom of movement.”
In earlier tweets, he also invited the international community to take responsibility and take a stand against Israel’s state terrorism in order to stop the massacres committed by Israel.
In a series of tweets, Altun said President Erdoğan has always stood by his Palestinian brothers and sisters in the just cause of Palestine.
He emphasized that they will not allow a step-by-step occupation of Palestine.
“Our president, who has been carrying out a decisive struggle for the independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, continues to defend the independent Palestine and our Palestinian brothers against Israel, which is increasing its terrorist acts and occupation attempts. Our president, who held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf, continues his diplomatic traffic without interruption,” Altun added. Tensions in Jerusalem have soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israel’s restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and after authorities ordered several Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.
In East Jerusalem, attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, have coincided with Israel’s decision to evict Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Israeli settlers, drawing condemnation from several countries for both the violence at Al-Aqsa and the evictions.
An Israeli airstrike has killed 24 people in northern Gaza, the Strip’s Health Ministry said in a statement late Monday. The ministry added that nine children were among the victims in Gaza Strip. Over 100 were injured.