Turkish, Iranian presidents call for Muslim unity to address Israeli attacks
ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Friday discussed in a phone conversation the escalation of tensions following Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem earlier this week, Turkiye's presidency said in a statement.
During the conversation, Erdogan underlined the importance of uniting the Islamic world against Israel's attacks in Palestine, especially in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, according to the statement.
In order to prevent a new spiral of violence, Erdogan said that it would be beneficial to take initiatives to guide all parties to common sense.
He called for joint efforts to preserve the status of holy places on international platforms, particularly the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations.
Erdogan told Raisi that it was also important for them to display unity in the face of the burning of the Holy Quran in a number of European cities recently, especially in front of the Turkish embassies.
For his part, Raisi denounced the "crimes" committed by Israel against Palestinians, particularly the attacks on worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and "the desecration" of the holy site. He called for an emergency OIC meeting to discuss measures to deal with Israel's "hostility."
Raisi also condemned Israel's recent "acts of aggression" against Syria and Lebanon, and stressed the need for greater unity among Muslim states in confronting such actions by Israel.
The Iranian president emphasized the necessity of respecting the territorial integrity of regional countries, saying it is a crucial solution in combating terrorism and separatism in the region while supporting the national sovereignty of these states.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound,the third holiest site for Muslims and the most sacred place for Jews, and detained hundreds of Palestinians.
Israel's police said in a statement that "dozens of law-breaking youths" attempted to barricade themselves inside the mosque to incite riots. - XINHUA
