Turkish foreign minister continues diplomacy on Jerusalem

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday continued his intensive diplomatic contacts amid ongoing violence by Israel against Palestinians.

According to diplomatic sources, Mevlut Cavusoglu held separate phone calls with his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts on the latest developments in Palestine.

During the talks, Cavusoglu discussed steps to be taken in the international arena against Israeli aggression, said the sources.

He is currently on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he said on Twitter he would discuss "bilateral relations and important regional issues, especially the attacks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the oppression against the Palestinian people."

Cavusoglu held several phone calls on Monday with his Moroccan, Iranian, Algerian, Pakistani, Russian, Palestinian and Tunisian counterparts, as well as the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), after the Israeli attacks on Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Violence flared in the Palestinian territories on Sunday after Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and attacked Palestinian worshippers inside the holy site. More than 300 Palestinians were injured in Israeli attacks inside the flashpoint complex.

The violence came amid calls by extremist Jews to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque to celebrate the anniversary of the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel occupied East Jerusalem, as "Jerusalem Day" according to the Hebrew calendar.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.