Istanbul stands against Israeli attacks in Al-Aqsa

By Humeyra Atilgan Buyukovali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hundreds of people gathered at Istanbul’s Beyazit Square on Friday to protest a recent restriction Israel placed on Palestinians entering the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Hacer Hacidervisoglu, 26, brought her 5-month-old baby to the protest. She said that the issue of Palestine affected the entire Muslim community -- and her baby was part of it.

"I am here with my family to be a hope for Muslims and fear to non-Muslims," she said.

"Al-Aqsa is part of our faith," she added. "Al-Quds is what Mecca and Medina mean to us."

Demonstrations were held across Turkey following the Friday prayer in protest of the ongoing Israeli violations in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Protesters chanted anti-Israel and pro-Palestine slogans and carried Palestine flags in support of their fellow Muslims.

In Istanbul, dozens of representatives from the civil society including the Anatolian Youth Foundation, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, the Turkey Youth Foundation and the Siyer Foundation, came together at the square.

They vowed that they will not leave Al-Aqsa to Israel.

As they addressed the crowds, reports came that dozens of Palestinians had been injured as Israeli police attacked Palestinian worshipers outside Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Thousands of Muslim worshipers had gathered in the streets of Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem to pray on Friday.

Protests broke out on Sunday after the Al-Aqsa mosque’s leadership spoke out against the metal detectors, which were installed following an gun attack last week that left three Palestinians and two Israeli police officers dead.

The measures led to a wave of anger among Palestinians, who called for the immediate removal of the detectors. However, Israel has refused to back down, saying the detectors matched security measures at other holy sites around the world.