Turkish foreign minister holds phone call with Palestinian counterpart

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s foreign minister spoke by phone late Monday with his Palestinian and Tunisian counterparts as well as the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) amid Israeli attacks on Palestinians and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Mevlut Cavusoglu, his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki and Tunisian counterpart Othman Jerandi discussed the latest developments in Jerusalem and the steps to be taken in the international arena, according to diplomatic sources.

During his call with Yousef Al-Othaimeen, Cavusoglu discussed the steps to be taken to convene the OIC's Jerusalem committee and to mobilize the international community, including the UN.

Tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem since last week, when Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with the residents of Sheikh Jarrah have been targeted by Israeli forces.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.​​​​​​​