Türkiye, Qatar reiterate condemnation of Israeli provocation at Al Aqsa

Top Turkish and Qatari diplomats have condemned Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir move to entered Al Aqsa Mosque’s courtyards in occupied East Jerusalem despite warnings of unrest.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed Tuesday's "raid on Al Aqsa Mosque and recent developments in Syria and Afghanistan," over a phone call on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The two officials also exchanged views on developments in Syria, and also expressed "their mutual concern about the Afghan (Taliban) Caretaker Government's recent ban on women’s access to education and their exclusion from certain areas of work in Afghanistan".

Cavusoglu also "congratulated his counterpart for the successful organization of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar." 

Turkish forces also helped provide security during the event, the first-ever World Cup hosted by a Muslim and Arab nation.

For Muslims, Al Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews, for their part, call the area the Temple Mount, saying 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 recognised by the international community.