In a slanderous attack on the Jewish state, Turkish President Erdogan accused Israel of racism, warned Trump against moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and called on Muslims to flood the Temple Mount.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted Israel in an Istanbul speech Monday, accusing the Jewish state of racism, and warned against making any changes to the status quo at the Temple Mount.
Bemoaning an Israeli presence, he called on Muslims from around the world to flood the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Every day that Jerusalem is under occupation is an insult to Muslims,” said Erdogan. “Visiting the Temple Mount would be the greatest support to our brothers there.”
The Turkish leader slammed Israel’s plan to curb the volume of the Islamic calls to prayer with the Muezzin Bill. “It is shameful that this issue is even on the agenda,” he stated. “The fact that those who talk about freedom of thought even approve this measure by remaining silent is noteworthy. We will not allow the silencing of prayers from Jerusalem.”
A bill seeking to regulate the often ear-splitting Muslim call to prayer, known as the Muezzin, in the wee hours of the morning has raised hackles among Muslims, who contend that the measure amounts to an assault on their freedom of religion.
Erdogan also warned the Trump administration not to move its embassy to Jerusalem. “It is wrong,” he said. “Such a plan should be dropped.”
Israel Responds, Calls Erdogan a Human Rights Abuser
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by calling Erdogan a violator of human rights. “Those who systematically violate human rights in their own country should not preach to the only true democracy in the region,” said a written statement released soon after Erdogan’s tirade.
“Israel consistently protects total freedom of worship for Jews, Muslims and Christians—and will continue to do so despite the baseless slander launched against it,” the statement read.
Erdogan has had a checkered relationship with Israel. Ties between Israel and Turkey, which were once close, have significantly deteriorated since the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, when pro-Hamas activists, in an effort to defy Israeli sovereignty and breach the naval blockade of Gaza, boarded a flotilla of Turkish vessels, falsely claiming to be bringing humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the Strip. IDF forces boarded the ship and were viciously assaulted with knives and other weapons. In the scuffle that followed, 10 Turkish nationals were killed and several IDF soldiers were wounded.
Despite the signing of a reconciliation pact in 2016, the relationship remains shaky. {eoa}
This article originally appeared at worldisraelnews.com.
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