Turkey on Saturday welcomed an International Criminal Court's (ICC) ruling that paves the way for a war crime probe into the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
The Foreign Ministry said the decision was a "meaningful step" toward accountability of Israel for its crimes.
"We welcome the ICC's finding that it has jurisdiction over Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967," the ministry said.
"The decision is a meaningful step towards ensuring that Israel is held accountable for the crimes it has committed in the Palestinian territories and that those responsible for these crimes are identified."
Stressing the importance of global support for the ICC's decision, Ankara said it could prove critical in stopping Israel's use of "excessive and disproportionate" force against Palestinians.
"International support for the ICC decision carries great importance for establishing deterrence against Israel's excessive and disproportionate use of force against the Palestinian people," read the statement.
It said the decision will also contribute to the implementation of a resolution presented by Turkey on the protection of Palestinians adopted by the U.N. General Assembly during Ankara's summit presidency of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
On Friday, the ICC ruled it has jurisdiction over the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, a decision that has been praised by Palestinian officials.
The Palestinians, who joined the court in 2015, have pushed for an investigation. Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, has said the court has no jurisdiction because the Palestinians do not have statehood and because the borders of any future state are to be decided in peace talks. It also accuses the court of inappropriately wading into political issues.
The Palestinians have asked the court to look into Israeli actions during its 2014 war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as well as Israel’s construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem.
The international community widely considers the settlements to be illegal under international law but has done little to pressure Israel to freeze or reverse its growth.
The international tribunal is meant to serve as a court of last resort when countries' own judicial systems are unable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute war crimes.
Israel’s military has mechanisms to investigate alleged wrongdoing by its troops, and despite criticism that the system is insufficient, experts say it has a good chance of fending off ICC investigation into its wartime practices.
When it comes to settlements, however, experts say Israel could have a difficult time defending its actions. International law forbids the transfer of a civilian population into occupied territory.
