Ankara: The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in the strongest terms the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Quds by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, accompanied by settlers and under police protection.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed in a statement issued on Sunday that protecting the security of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the sacred identity of Al-Quds is not only a regional responsibility, but a collective responsibility of the human conscience. The statement emphasized that these systematic provocations and recent calls for annexation by Israel target the foundations of the two-state solution and severely harm hopes for peace.

The Turkish Ministry reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a lasting peace based on the two-state solution, in response to Israel’s destabilizing practices in Palestine and the region. It specifically condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli ministers, under police protection and with the participation of groups of settlers.

This morning, Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, renewed his storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Quds. Ben-Gvir led a Talmudic prayer in the mosque’s courtyards, commemorating what they refer to as the “destruction of the Temple.” Hebrew media outlets, including the newspaper Israel Hayom and Channel 7, broadcast video clips of the storming, showing the involvement of settlers and the police.

In previous instances, hundreds of settlers have stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, performing Talmudic prayers under the watchful eye of the police, whom Ben-Gvir controls within his powers.