ANKARA
Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs condemned the Israeli agression on Al-Aqsa on Thursday by saying that “it is necessary to avoid any act that may raise trauma in the region.”
Mehmet Gormez said during a visit by United States' Ankara ambassador John Bass that “The closure of Al-Aqsa mosque to Muslims for the first time since the 60’s may result in serious abuses in our region which already suffers from traumas. It is necessary to avoid any act that may raise trauma in the region.”
The violence came as several extremist Jewish groups called for mass intrusions into Al-Aqsa Mosque after last week's shooting of a rabbi in Jerusalem by a Palestinian man.
For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world's third holiest site, while Jews refer to the area as the Temple Mount, deeming it to be the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
www.aa.com.tr/en
