ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel on Friday for storming the third holiest site in Islam, the al-Aqsa mosque, in Jerusalem recently.
He made the remarks during his official visit to Turkmenistan.
Erdogan termed the Israeli attack "unforgivable" and said the mosque belonged not just to the Palestinians, but the entire Muslim world.
Israeli security forces and a large number of Jewish settlers had stormed the mosque Wednesday. Eyewitnesses at the time said the security personnel shot rubber bullets at worshippers and students which left scores injured.
The violence came in the aftermath of calls made by several extremist Jewish groups to storm the mosque when Rabbi Yehuda Glick was attacked a week ago.
Al-Aqsa represents Islam's third holiest site, while Jews refer to the same area as the Temple Mount, which they consider as the site of two ancient Jewish temples.
www.aa.com.tr/en
