Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to convene an emergency summit to discuss the war in Gaza and what he called Israel’s attacks on Jerusalem.
Erdogan, who has been a vocal critic of Israel since the start of its war against Hamas, following the terror group’s October 7 attack, called on Islamic countries to form an alliance against what he described as Israel’s “expansionism.”
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan accused Israel of targeting the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as part of its “expansionist” drive. Actions affecting the flashpoint site are Ankara’s “red line,” the president added.
The OIC has 57 member states, and claims to be the collective voice of the Muslim world.
“It is unthinkable for the OIC, whose duty is to take care of the Jerusalem cause, to remain indifferent to these attacks. It is urgent that the organization convenes at the leadership level without losing more time,” Erdogan said. In recent weeks, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said repeatedly that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer at the site, which is in direct contrast to the unofficial status quo, in which Muslims can pray there while Jews are allowed to visit, but not pray. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted that there is no change to the status quo, though observers have noted open prayer at the site in recent weeks and months with little intervention.
