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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Muslims across the world to visit and protect Jerusalem, slamming what he said was an unacceptable infringement on Palestinians rights to a holy site.

The leaders comments on Tuesday came after days of violence sparked over access to the al-Aqsa mosque in the citys Noble Sanctuary, known as the Temple Mount in Judaism.

The site is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and as such is a recurrent flash point in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus cabinet voted Monday night to dismantle metal detectors set up outside the sacred compound in response to an attack there by an Arab gunman that killed two Israeli police officers on 14 July.

Palestinians alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the Muslim administered site, the care of which is overseen by neighbouring Jordan. Israel has denied the accusations.

The new security measures and attempts to deny Muslim men under the age of 50 access to the site for prayers led to mass protests in the contested capital.

Trump: Israelis and Palestinians are reaching for peace

At least four Palestinians were killed in street clashes and three Israeli settlers were killed in their West Bank home in the ensuing unrest. On Sunday, two Jordanians were killed by an Israeli guard after one attacked him at the Israeli embassy in Amman, sparking a diplomatic incident with Jordan.

While the metal detectors are being dismantled, Israels capitulation did not go far enough for Mr Erdogan, who had previously spoken to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin urging for the status quo in Jerusalem to be restored.

From here I make a call to all Muslims. Anyone who has the opportunity should visit Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa mosque, Mr Erdogan said in Ankara. Come, lets all protect Jerusalem, he added.

Mr Erdogan also criticised what he said was the use of excessive Israeli force to break up recent protests.

There have been several high profile calls for Palestinians to continue protesting by praying outside the site until other measures added earlier this month such as CCTV cameras are also removed.

Jerusalems Supreme Islamic Committee is due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss whether the steps taken by Israel are sufficient for Muslim worshippers to return to the sacred compound.

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Turkish President Erdogan calls on all Muslims to 'protect' Jerusalem holy site known as Temple Mount and Noble ... - The Independent

Marking the first anniversary of Turkeys failed coup, the president said the country foiled a 40-year plan to overthrow the government.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan early Sunday applauded the nation for fighting a gang of betrayal during a coup attempt last July.

At a ceremony to commemorate the July 15 defeated coup in front of the parliament building, Erdogan said the country achieved a new victory by disrupting the 40-year plan of traitors in less than 20 hours.

Erdogan claims the attempted coup was orchestrated by U.S-based Fetullah Gulen and carried out by his supporters. At least 250 people were killed and 2,200 wounded in the attempt.

On the night, coup plotters in Istanbul used military tanks to close the Bosphorus bridge -- later renamed the Bridge of the Martyred of July 15.

Warplanes flew at low altitude in the skies of Istanbul and Ankara, and bombed the parliament building and the headquarters of police and intelligence agency.

But Turks showed the world what kind of nation Turkey is, according to Erdogan.

"Had my nation took arms? Had my nation marched against the scoundrels, traitors with weapons with their hands? My nation marched with their faith and flag. There is no other example of this. There is no other nation who stop bullets by their chests. There is no other nation that stop tanks with punch, he said.

Turkey struggled against a "militarized gang of betrayal with faith in their hearts and bare hands", he said.

The president also lambasted main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu for his "controlled coup" remarks.

"To call this deadly attack a controlled coup is impassiveness and unfortunateness. Otherwise, do you want this process to be continued like this?" Erdogan said.

Erdogan said the coup plotters intended to destroy the state and civilization, enslaving the country and the nation.

Kilicdaroglu has repeatedly claimed the government had advance knowledge of the coup plot but did nothing to prevent it.

In the wake of the failed overthrow, tens of thousands of suspected Gulen supporters have been arrested, including many in the military, police, judicial system, education and business sectors.

Erdogan noted that the National Security Council would discuss extending the current the state of emergency enacted following the coup bid and send its recommendation to the government Monday in favor of extension.

The coup plotters targeted symbols of Turkish democracy, Erdogan said, citing the bomb attack on parliament while lawmakers were inside.

"So, they mainly targeted the parliament building and it became the place of a major bomb attack, he said.

In response to public demands to restore the death penalty for those found guilty of participating in the coup, Erdogan said he would not be hesitate to approve a bill if passed by parliament.

I believe the parliament would adopt such a bill.

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Erdogan Hails Nation For Foiling Coup Attempt | TOLOnews - TOLOnews

Muslims should use every opportunity to go to Jerusalem to help protect the Al-Aqsa mosque, which Israeli soldiers are carelessly polluting while easily spilling blood, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Muslims should support their brothers in faith suffering from Israels actions at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Erdogan told members of the ruling AK Party on Tuesday.

From here I call upon all Muslims. Those who are able to should visit Al-Aqsa Those who cannot visit Al-Aqsa should send aid to our brothers there, Erdogan said in Ankara, as cited by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

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"When Israeli soldiers carelessly pollute the grounds of Al-Aqsa with their combat boots by using simple issues as a pretext and then easily spill blood there, the reason [they are able to do that] is we [Muslims] have not done enough to stake our claim over Jerusalem," Erdogan said.

He added that Turkish authorities are doing their utmost to protect Christian and Jewish places of worship from extremist attacks, saying that Turkey has no issues with them, according to Reuters.

Erdogan also said he had spoken to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and told him that Muslims visiting Al-Aqsa mosque could not be treated as terrorists. "We can also not accept Jews going to synagogues and temples being treated as terrorists," he said.

On Sunday, Erdogan also pressed Tel Aviv to dismantle security fences around the Temple Mount, arguing the Israelis conduct went beyond democratic standards.

He called on Israel to respect "basic human rights values," also condemning it for disregarding all warnings to maintain its position.

Metal detectors and other restrictions must be lifted immediately and the current status quo must be restored, Erdogan insisted.

The Turkish leaders statement followed days of spiraling violence sparked over access to the Al-Aqsa mosque at the compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City.

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Earlier in the month, Israeli authorities introduced additional security measures, installing metal detectors and CCTV cameras outside the mosque, causing protests from Palestinian worshippers.

On Friday, three Palestinians were killed during rallies in the city, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas froze all contacts with Israel in light of the dispute. The same day three members of a Jewish family were murdered in a stabbing attack at a settlement on the West Bank.

The Arab League issued a statement telling Israel not to test the patience of the Muslim world.

The Israeli government is playing with fire and risking a major crisis with the Arab and Islamic world, secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said in a statement on Sunday.

The official stressed Jerusalem is a red line that Muslims and Arabs cannot allow to be crossed, adding, what is happening today is an attempt to impose a new reality on the Holy city.

Israeli authorities on Tuesday made a decision to dismantle security installations, replacing them with advanced technological means.

The cabinet accepts the recommendation of security officials to replace the metal detectors with security inspection based on advanced technologies smart inspection and other means to ensure the security of visitors and worshipers in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Israeli government said in a statement quoted by Haaretz.

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Erdogan: Israeli soldiers pollute Al-Aqsa grounds with ...

BRUSSELS (AP) High-level talks that European Union officials had with Turkeys foreign minister Tuesday did not appear to ease tensions between the 28-nation bloc and Ankara over a wave of detentions of human rights defenders, journalists and others.

After the meeting in Brussels, European enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn expressed very strong concern about the detentions, while Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu defended them as a necessary part of his countrys fight against extremism.

Turkey has been mired in a diplomatic row with EU powerhouse and fellow NATO ally Germany following the arrests last week of a group of human rights activists, including a German national, on terror-related charges. Earlier, a German-Turkish journalist was arrested for allegedly spying and aiding Kurdish rebels.

Before the talks in Brussels started, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled that the era of Turkey bowing to Western pressure was over.

The West wants Turkey to bring about their demands no questions asked I am sorry to say that Turkey no longer exists, Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling partys legislators.

The meeting in Brussels was formally about Turkeys long-stalled bid for EU membership, the fight against terrorism and energy and trade ties. But they were held in the shadow of the sweeping government crackdown that came in the aftermath of a failed coup last year.

More than 50,000 people, including journalists and opposition lawmakers, have been detained since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Critics say the purge initially targeted people suspected of links to the leaders of the failed military takeover, but has expanded to include government opponents.

Human rights, the rule of law, democracy, fundamental freedoms including media freedom are all basic imperative requirements for any progress towards the European Union, Hahn said.

The EU wants to see progress in all these areas, he said.

I would like to stress once again our very strong concern about the imprisonment of a large number of journalists, writers, academics, lawyers and human rights defenders and we expect a due legal procedure in respect of the presumption of innocence, Hahn said.

Cavusoglu, however, defended the arrests of activists and journalists by saying they were detained on suspicion of involvement with extremists.

Turkey applied to join the EU three decades ago, and it started negotiating in 2005. But of the 16 negotiating chapters on issues as varied as capital movement and food safety, only one science and research has been provisionally closed.

Ankaras minister in charge of EU issues, Omer Celik, said Tuesdays discussions were constructive.

Its clear that we have differences, that we have disagreements, but dialogue, discussions and (the) search for settlements will of course continue, Celik added.

Celik called accession negotiations the backbone of EU-Turkey relations and said the best way to discuss differences would be to open accession chapters.

He said the chapters that cover the judiciary, fundamental rights and security should be opened.

Before the meeting, human rights activists urged the EU to use the meeting to press Ankara to release detained rights activists. Amnesty Internationals Turkey director, Idil Eser, and its chair, Taner Kilic, are among those being detained.

Our call is very simple. We want the unconditional and immediate release of these human rights defenders, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty said.

___

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.

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President Erdogan ramps up rhetoric ahead of Turkey-EU talks - The Seattle Times

Miami Herald

Turkey, a US ally, muzzles the media Miami Herald Some may think that Erdogan started to silence critical media only after failed coup on July 15, 2016. But this is not true. Like many other journalists, Karaca became target long before the coup attempt as the president declared a war on free media ...

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Turkey, a US ally, muzzles the media - Miami Herald