Türkiye urges int'l pressure on Israeli gov't after police raids on Al-Aqsa mosque

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) — Following the latest Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, Türkiye's presidential spokesman called on international community on Wednesday to put pressure on Tel Aviv over the incident.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu, Ibrahim Kalin condemned the "reckless attack" by Israeli forces in the strongest terms.

Kalin said the latest attacks on Al-Aqsa and arrests of Palestinian civilians were a means for the Israeli government to "cover up its own internal predicament," referring to weeks-long unrest over a judicial overhaul proposal by the administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

The Turkish official also stressed that Ankara would continue to "oppose any attempt to change the religious and historical status of Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque."

On Sweden's bid to join NATO, Kalin said that the Nordic country needed only to fulfill its pledges to Ankara to become a member of the alliance.

"Our demands have yet to be met. Sweden has steps to take. The process will progress in accordance with the steps to be taken by Sweden," he added.

On Türkiye-US relations and sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, Kalin said: "We will say, 'we have our Kizilelma, our national combat aircraft project, we have alternatives,' to those refusing to sell us F-16 (jets). They will regret it themselves."

Asked about a recent trip by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to areas occupied by the PKK/YPG terror group in northern Syria, Kalin said Ankara was not "satisfied" by statements saying that he had only met with US soldiers.

He further noted that US support for PKK/YPG terrorists not only "poisons" ties with Türkiye but also damages Syria's demographic structure.