Xinhua2022:04:21.08:28
ANKARA, April 20 (Xinhua) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that his country will continue to support the Palestinian cause even as the government builds ties with Israel.
“The measures we are taking for our economic-political relations with Israel … differ” from the Palestinian cause, Erdogan told lawmakers in parliament.
Turkey will not give up its support for the Palestinians because of their political, cultural and economic ties with Israel, he said.
“This does not mean that we will ignore the occupation of Jerusalem and other Palestinian territories,” said the Turkish president.
The effective way to uphold the Palestinian cause is a “reasonable, consistent and balanced” relationship with Israel, Erdogan added.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have risen in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent weeks, particularly after the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover on Friday during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog on Tuesday, Erdogan asked Herzog not to allow “provocations and threats” against the status and spirituality of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Erdogan said on Twitter.
Turkey and Israel have tried to mend relations in recent months.
Relations between the two countries were strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to breach the Israeli blockade of Gaza clashed with Israeli forces, killing ten Turks.
In a more recent dispute in 2018, Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador after Israeli forces killed Palestinians during protests at the Gaza Strip border against the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.
(Web Editor: 周雨, Zhao Jian)