Israel's human rights violations must come to an end: Turkish president

By Merve Berker and Dilan Pamuk

ANKARA (AA) – Israel’s actions violate basic human rights and so must be brought to an immediate halt, said Turkey’s president late Wednesday.

Turkey demands the “despicable attacks on [Jerusalem’s] Al-Aqsa Mosque and Muslims be stopped immediately,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter.

Decrying Israel’s actions as “violating decisions by humanity’s common organizations, fundamental human rights, international law, and all human values,” Erdogan said: “It is the duty of every single Muslim to protect the honor, glory and dignity of the holy city of Jerusalem.”

If the UN Security Council fails to stop Israel with immediate and effective measures, this confirms that the international system is broken, said Erdogan, reiterating his critique of the UN Security Council and its five permanent unrepresentative members, saying: “The world is greater than five.”

Tensions have been running high since an Israeli court last week ordered the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, leading to Palestinian protests and Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians, including worshippers at the city’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The latest death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip rose to 65, including five women and 16 children, with 365 people injured, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

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