ANKARA: During a phone discussion with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel's activities against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

"During our call, I underlined my severe condemnation of Israel's interference against Al-Aqsa Mosque worshippers, and that we will stand firm against provocations and threats to the status quo and spirituality of Al-Aqsa Mosque," Erdogan stated on Twitter on Sunday. "Turkey is always with Palestine," he said, adding that the events highlight the need for all Palestinian organisations to work toward unity and reconciliation, reports said.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have risen throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent weeks, particularly since the Jewish celebration of Passover began on Friday, during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. More than 160 people were injured in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police forces at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday.

In 2010, a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip collided with Israeli forces, killing ten Turks on board. Following the United States' decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, Turkey expelled the Israeli Ambassador to Turkey in 2018.

In recent months, the two countries have been working on a reconciliation. Erdogan claimed Israeli President Isaac Herzog "clearly underlined Turkey's concern on the topic of Palestine" during his visit to Ankara on March 9.

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