Turkey’s Foreign Minister has said that his country is “the protector” of the Palestinian cause and heritage and his people won’t stop until they can pray in a “free Jerusalem”. Ahmet Davutoglu was speaking to the Minister of Religious Endowments and Affairs, Dr. Ismail Radwan, in the Gaza Strip. He told Dr Radwan of Turkey’s readiness to support the Palestinians in all international forums.
Commenting on the risks facing the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa, Davutoglu insisted that the Israeli occupation “would not dare to touch or divide Al-Aqsa Mosque” as Turkey, for one, would take such an issue very seriously indeed. “Nevertheless,” he suggested, “there must be a clear and rational strategy for the defence of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem.”
The foreign minister stressed the necessity of lifting the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy city. Turkey, he pointed out, is ready to provide support for any religious or educational projects in the Gaza Strip, which he described as an area that occupies a special place in the hearts of the Turkish people.