Istanbul, May 14 (SANA) Türkiye on Thursday condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by an Israeli minister accompanied by a group of settlers, describing the move as a “provocative act” that violates the site’s historical and legal status.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “We strongly condemn the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by an Israeli minister accompanied by a group of settlers.”

The ministry warned that such “provocative actions, which violate the historical and legal identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a holy site for Muslims, risk increasing tensions and instability in the region.”

Türkiye also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities in protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and preventing violations targeting occupied East Jerusalem and its holy sites.

On Wednesday, Israeli minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound accompanied by a group of settlers under Israeli police protection.

Since 2003, Israeli authorities have allowed settlers to enter the Al-Aqsa compound under police protection, while the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem has repeatedly called for an end to the incursions, without success.

R.D/ABD