The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the recent raid by far-right Jewish groups on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem for violating the status quo.

"We strongly condemn the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on May 18 by fanatical Jewish groups under police protection and their attempts to perform prayers in this area, violating once again the historical status quo at Haram Al-Sharif," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Türkiye urged the Israeli government not to allow such "provocative actions."

"We expect the necessary measures for the preservation of status quo in the holy places to be taken seriously and without delay," it added.

Hundreds of Israeli settlers on Thursday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

This came as Israeli settlers prepared to celebrate the 56th anniversary of the occupation of East Jerusalem along with their planned "flag march" to walk through East Jerusalem's Old City areas.

Earlier this week, Israeli extremist groups announced they were seeking to mobilize nearly 5,000 Israeli settlers to break into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on the day of the "flag march" on Thursday.

The "flag march" is staged by Israeli settlers every year to mark what they call the unification of Jerusalem, in reference to Israel's occupation of the city in 1967.

Known for its unbreakable solidarity with Palestinians, Türkiye has been voicing support for the Palestinian cause in the international realm for decades. Turkish authorities emphasize that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is through a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue within the framework of international law and United Nations resolutions.

Despite the recent rapprochement, Turkish officials continue to criticize Israel’s policies targeting Palestinians, including the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.