ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday denounced as “excessive” the use of force by Israeli security forces in deadly clashes over Al-Aqsa.
“I condemn Israel’s insistence on its position despite all warnings... and the excessive use of force by Israeli forces against our brothers gathered for Friday prayers,” he said in a statement.
Erdogan said that he was speaking in his capacity as the current chairman of the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) whose chairmanship Turkey currently holds.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Friday that Turkey was in dialogue with Israel to end the crisis.
Speaking in Ankara after Friday prayers, he said worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem would be made difficult if each person is searched at entry.
Yildirim called the precautions “radical,” saying limits imposed on Muslim prayers would not contribute to a solution.
He said that “our suggestion to Israel is this practice is wrong” and another precaution should be developed.
In Istanbul, hundreds of protesters gathered after Friday prayers, waving Palestinian flags.
Erdogan reaffirmed in a statement Thursday that Israel’s restrictions were “unacceptable” and should be removed “immediately.”
“I urge the international community to immediately take action to remove practices that restrict freedom of worship at Haram Al-Sharif,” he said.
The UN said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “deeply deplores” the death of three Palestinians in clashes with Israeli security forces and urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to refrain from actions that could further escalate the volatile situation in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Farhan Haq, UN deputy spokesman, said Guterres also callled on all political, religious and community leaders “to help reduce tension.”
Haq said “the secretary-general reiterates that the sanctity of religious sites should be respected as places for reflection, not violence.”
He said Guterres called for the killings of the Palestinians “to be fully investigated.”
The spokesman said the issue is complex and “we do understand legitimate security concerns, but on the other hand it is important that the status quo at the site by retained.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said the Palestinian leadership will “freeze contacts” with Israel “on all levels.”
Abbas made the announcement during a meeting late Friday with senior Palestinian officials to discuss the growing escalation over the Al-Aqsa dispute.
Egypt urged Israel to show respect for Muslim sacred sites, accusing it of fomenting tensions.
A Foreign Ministry statement expressed concern over Friday’s clashes in Jerusalem and condemned Israel for the civilian deaths and what it described as “excessive use of force.”
Egypt also accused Israel of imposing restrictions on Palestinians when it comes to their rights to practice their faith, “fueling tension among the Palestinian people and the entire Muslim nation.”
It called upon the Israeli government go be rational and not to “let the situation get into a dangerous swamp” that endangers attempts to revive peace talks.
Erdogan slams Israeli security forces for excessive use of force against Al-Aqsa worshippers
Erdogan slams Israeli security forces for excessive use of force against Al-Aqsa worshippers
Syrian government and SDF agree to de-escalate after Aleppo violence
- Turkiye views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organization and has warned of military action if the group does not honor the agreement
DAMASCUS: Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to de-escalate on Monday evening in the northern city of Aleppo, after a wave of attacks that both sides blamed on each other left at least two civilians dead and several wounded.
Syria’s state news agency SANA, citing the defense ministry, said the army’s general command issued an order to stop targeting the SDF’s fire sources. The SDF said in a statement later that it had issued instructions to stop responding to attacks by Syrian government forces following de-escalation contacts.
HIGHLIGHTS
• SDF and Syrian government forces blame each other for Aleppo violence
• Turkiye threatens military action if SDF fails integration deadline
• Aleppo schools and offices closed on Tuesday following the violence
The Syrian health ministry said two people were killed and several were wounded in shelling by the SDF on residential neighborhoods in the city. The injuries included two children and two civil defense workers. The violence erupted hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a visit to Damascus that the SDF appeared to have no intention of honoring a commitment to integrate into the state’s armed forces by an agreed year-end deadline.
Turkiye views the US-backed SDF, which controls swathes of northeastern Syria, as a terrorist organization and has warned of military action if the group does not honor the agreement.
Integrating the SDF would mend Syria’s deepest remaining fracture, but failing to do so risks an armed clash that could derail the country’s emergence from 14 years of war and potentially draw in Turkiye, which has threatened an incursion against Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists.
Both sides have accused the other of stalling and acting in bad faith. The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won as the main US ally during the war, which left it with control of Daesh prisons and rich oil resources.
SANA, citing the defense ministry, reported earlier that the SDF had launched a sudden attack on security forces and the army in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods of Aleppo, resulting in injuries.
The SDF denied this and said the attack was carried out by factions affiliated with the Syrian government. It said those factions were using tanks and artillery against residential neighborhoods in the city.
The defense ministry denied the SDF’s statements, saying the army was responding to sources of fire from Kurdish forces. “We’re hearing the sounds of artillery and mortar shells, and there is a heavy army presence in most areas of Aleppo,” an eyewitness in Aleppo told Reuters earlier on Monday. Another eyewitness said the sound of strikes had been very strong and described the situation as “terrifying.”
Aleppo’s governor announced a temporary suspension of attendance in all public and private schools and universities on Tuesday, as well as government offices within the city center.
