Turkish minister: 'we do not accept judaising Jerusalem'

Turkish Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs Mohammed Kormaz reiterated the “full responsibility” of his country towards Al-Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem, Quds Press reported on Friday.

While delivering Friday speech, Kormaz said: “Turkey stands before its full responsibility [over Jerusalem] and we do not have to disclaim it at all. The pride of Jerusalem is ours because it has been part of our history, legacy, religion and civilisation.”

He added: “We do not accept that anyone from the Palestinians, Arabs, and Turks, Iranian or any other nation to disclaim any part of Jerusalem. Disclaiming parts of the holy city means disclaiming religion and history.”

The minister also refused the plans of portioning Al-Aqsa Mosque based on time and place because “we do not bargain the Islamism of the Mosque which has been Islamic since it was established.” He added: “We do not accept Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the Jewish state.”

Kormaz said the military Israeli occupation for Jerusalem does not “really” affect it and degrade its dignity in the hearts of all Muslims. “All kinds of Zionist Jewish activities in the city are kinds of aggression against the city’s legal and religious status,” he said.

He stressed that the current Turkish government would never recognise any demographic, political or religious change imposed by the Israeli occupation on the residents, considering the city as the responsibility of the whole Islamic community, not constricted to a certain nation.