Türkiye condemns Israeli minister’s storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque

ANKARA

Türkiye on April 7 strongly condemned the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, calling the move an unacceptable provocation.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it viewed violations and provocations targeting the historical and legal identity of the holy site as intolerable.

It also emphasized that keeping Al-Aqsa open for Muslim worship and removing restrictions that impede freedom of worship in East Jerusalem is a shared responsibility of the international community.

Ben-Gvir entered the compound on April 6 following a 38-day closure imposed by Israeli authorities. Such incursions are typically carried out without public notice, and Israeli ministers are only allowed to enter Al-Aqsa with prior approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

Palestinians have criticized the closure, saying Israel is tightening its control over the mosque and imposing further restrictions on Muslim worshippers. According to the Jerusalem governorate, April 3 marked the ninth time since 1967 that Israel closed the mosque on a Friday, leaving the courtyards largely empty except for a small number of Islamic Waqf employees.

The closure is part of broader restrictions on holy sites in the city. Israeli police recently allowed only limited prayer at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after several European countries criticized authorities for preventing senior Christian clergy from attending Palm Sunday celebrations. Both sites have remained closed since Feb. 28 amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.