President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the Israeli attacks against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, as he reiterated Turkey's determination to stand in solidarity with Palestine amid the violence.
In a phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, Erdoğan said he strongly condemned the Israeli intervention on Muslim worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"During our talk, I expressed to Mr. Abbas that I strongly condemn Israel's interventions against the worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque and that we will stand against the provocations and threats against the status and spirituality of Al-Aqsa Mosque," Erdoğan said on Twitter.
"Turkey always stands with Palestine," he added.
The president wished Allah's mercy on those killed in the Israeli attacks and conveyed his get well wishes for the injured.
Erdoğan reiterated Turkey's support for Palestine, saying, "the events remind us of the necessity for all Palestinian groups to work towards unity and reconciliation."
The president also said he conveyed his gratitude to the Palestinian counterpart both for his restraint and prudent leadership in terms of unity.
Erdoğan told Guterres that Ankara strongly condemns Israel's interventions against worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and finds it "unacceptable."
They also evaluated the joint steps that can be taken to achieve peace in the region.
Turkey has in the past launched various initiatives within the United Nations and Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) against Israeli actions towards Palestinians and its policies regarding East Jerusalem or its status.
Tension has mounted across the Palestinian territories since Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard on Friday amid clashes with worshippers, injuring hundreds.
On Sunday, more than 700 Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under heavy police protection to celebrate the week-long Jewish Passover holiday, which started on Friday.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
The holy site, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, has often been the epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian unrest, and tensions were already heightened amid a recent wave of violence. Clashes at the site last year helped spark an 11-day war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move never recognized by the international community.
On Friday, at least 152 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with Israeli riot police inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the latest outbreak in an upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
Most of the Palestinian injuries were incurred from rubber bullets, stun grenades and beatings with police batons, the Palestine Red Crescent said.
Tensions this year have been heightened in part by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover.
Erdoğan's comments come amid efforts by Turkey and Israel in recent months to normalize their long-strained ties.
Regional rivals Turkey and Israel expelled ambassadors in 2018 and have often traded barbs over the Palestinian conflict and other issues.
Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has said it believes a rapprochement with Israel will also help find a solution to the issue, but that it would not abandon commitments to Palestinians for better ties with Israel.
Earlier this month, Erdoğan had told his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, whom he also met in Ankara last month, that Ankara expected Israeli authorities to be sensitive over Al-Aqsa during Ramadan and stressed the importance of allowing Palestinians to enter Israel.
Last month, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said he would visit Israel and Palestine with Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez in mid-May and discuss the re-appointment of ambassadors with his Israeli counterpart during the visit.
Turkey also on Friday condemned the killing of seven Palestinians by Israeli security forces and violence against Muslims at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
In a written statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "We find it unacceptable and strongly condemn the killing of seven Palestinians, including a child, by Israeli security forces in different cities in Palestine, especially Jenin, and the intervention of Muslims in Al-Aqsa mosque for worship this morning, causing injuries."
"We are deeply concerned about the increasing tensions in the region in recent days. We would like to emphasize once again the importance of not allowing provocations and threats against the status and spirituality of Al-Aqsa mosque, especially in this sensitive period," it added.