Turkey: Jerusalem holy site closure ‘crime against humanity’

Turkey on Monday blasted Israel’s two-day closure of a Jerusalem holy site, following a deadly attack, as a “crime against humanity.”Israel closed the Haram al-Sharif compound, or the Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalem, on Friday and Saturday after the attack.


“This decision is a crime against humanity, a crime committed against the freedom of religion. From the point of view of human rights, it’s utterly unacceptable,” Turkish government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus, who is also deputy prime minister, said.

“It really is an unacceptable decision, and wounding to the highest degree,” added Kurtulmus, who was speaking at a news conference in Ankara after a cabinet meeting.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fervent supporter of Palestinians, normalized relations with Israel in June last year after bilateral ties deteriorated over a 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship that killed 10 Turkish activists.
 [alarabiya.net/AFP]
18/7/17
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