Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Wednesday that his country would never tolerate any change in the identity of the city of Jerusalem, Anadolu news agency has reported. Speaking at an inter-parliamentary conference – “Al-Quds [Jerusalem] and its Current Challenges” – held in Istanbul, Yildirim also said that Turkey would stand against all practices which violate freedom of religion and belief.
“Checkpoints placed in and around Al-Quds restrict the freedom of Muslim and Christian communities to a great extent, preventing access to churches and mosques,” the Turkish official said. “The aim is obviously to terrorise the true owners of the region, which are the ancient civilisations of Islam and Christianity, and thereby radically change the city’s historical structure and texture, as well as to transform Al-Quds into the capital of Israel and Jews.” Turkey, he told fellow parliamentarians from around the world, “cannot tolerate this policy.”
Pointing out that people with different religions, languages and ethnic origins have lived together peacefully for hundreds of years in Jerusalem, Yildirim explained that the city now is facing a totally different danger. “It is not possible to talk about peace either in the Middle East, or beyond, unless this unfavourable picture changes. To protect Al-Quds is to protect our past and identity.”
The prime minister then criticised the Israeli bill proposing a ban on the use of loudspeakers for the Muslim call to prayer, describing it as “unacceptable”. A day before the conference, Yildirim had called the bill “offensive to Islam and freedom of worship.”