Turkey 'strongly condemns' Israeli attack at Al-Aqsa Mosque

ANKARA

Turkey "strongly condemned" late Friday attacks by Israeli security forces on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

"We call on the Israeli Government to put an end to this provocative and aggressive attitude as soon as possible by targeting the freedom of worship of the Palestinian people and the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, and invite them to sanity," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It underlined that the steps to be taken in the international arena in this regard were discussed Friday with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki, who visited Turkey at the invitation of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"Turkey will continue to support the just cause of the Palestinian people," it added.

Israeli police attempted to disperse worshippers inside the Haram al-Sharif area of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, using stun grenades and gas bombs.

At least 178 people were injured in the attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Damascus gate of Old City, and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Israeli police attacked Muslim worshippers inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while worshippers were performing tarawih --special night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

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.