Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that the al-Aqsa Mosque is not only the honor of Palestinians, but also of the 1.7 billion Muslims around the world, affirming that the Islamic world would not remain silent amid the ongoing violations at the Noble Sanctuary's al-Aqsa Mosque in the city of Jerusalem.
“As current chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, I once again call on Israel to act in accordance with the law, human values and the proper practices, I would like to underscore once again that [Israel] should avoid steps that would further escalate tensions,” Erdoğan said.
Before embarking on his Gulf tour, Erdoğan held a press meeting at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport during which he stressed that Turkey today shares a common fate with Gulf countries as it did in the past, emphasizing the close political, economic, military, cultural and human relations that exist between Turkey and its regional Arab partners.
Erdoğan pointed out that the ongoing Qatar crisis will be first on the tour’s agenda adding, “We disapprove of any distress or problems that may exist in any capacity between our brothers in the Gulf. We are greatly saddened by the events taking place.”
”Today more than ever, we as Muslims have to tighten our ranks. The suffering, the pain in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Palestine is incontrovertible. For example, all eyes are on the al-Aqsa Mosque today,” said Erdoğan.
Erdoğan stressed that al-Aqsa Mosque is the honor of not only the Palestinians but of the 1.7 billion Muslims, and noted that the Islamic world would not remain silent faced with the transgressions carried out by Israel in the holy city of Jerusalem.
The Turkish president expressed his country’s strong condemnation of Israel’s restrictions at the al-Aqsa Mosque and pledged to continue making efforts to establish peace in the region and support the Palestinian people’s rights and their struggle for freedom.
"The Noble Sanctuary belongs not only to the Palestinians, it is also honored and considered a sacred place by 1.7 billion Muslims worldwide," Erdoğan said.
Regarding the issue of the latest transgressions at the al-Aqsa Mosque, Erdoğan stated, “There can’t be any justification for the violation of the rights of Muslims, or of any other faith in Jerusalem. Our responses must also be in line of and according to the law. We’re carrying out intense efforts for peace to be restored to the grounds of al-Aqsa.”
Erdoğan recalled his telephone conversations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli President Rivlin and French President Emmanuel Macron, during which he discussed the latest developments in Jerusalem and at al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Turkish president praised Saudi Arabia during the first leg of his Gulf tour, calling the Kingdom:
"the region’s wise leader," and adding that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman comes first among those who can solve this crisis.
Addressing the crisis with Germany, Erdoğan assured, “We stand together in the NATO alliance. We’ve been partners for a long time. No step must be taken to compromise this partnership. There are German companies that have been operating in Turkey for more than a hundred years, such as Siemens and Bosch. Has the slightest thing ever been done to them? There’s no such thing.”
When asked about the rebranding of YPG terrorists in Syria under the title of Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) by U.S. Special Force Commander General Raymond Thomas, Erdoğan dismissed the attempt, adding that it doesn’t change anything and that it amounted to the same thing.
“We know very well who they [SDF forces] are. They are the same as YPG terrorists. We know exactly how and where they operate. The problem does not lie with the name change, but with who’s fighting under that name. We actually know who they are and Turkey is following their every move through its intelligence services. We revealed their photos and identities through video footage. We cannot accept this. Friends do not deceive one another,” said Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan held critical meetings during his visits to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, aimed at reaching a solution to the Qatar crisis.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan left Saudi Arabia for Kuwait after holding separate meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud.
The Turkish President arrived with his wife Emine Erdoğan at the Royal Airport in Jeddah and met Prince of Mecca Khaled al-Faysal. He later lunched with king Salman bin Abdulaziz, as the two countries’ respective delegations held meetings.
Upon arrival in Kuwait, Erdoğan was received by Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, and later the two leaders held an hour-long meeting in the Dar Salwa palace.
Qatar is the last leg of President Erdoğan’s gulf tour, where he is expected to hold a meeting with Qatar, Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Erdogan is being accompanied by a high-profile delegation that includes Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, and head of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Hakan Fidan.
The visit comes amid a Gulf crisis after four Arab states -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the tiny Gulf country, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
Doha, for its part, denies the accusation and describes the blockade as a violation of international law.
