(File photo: Xinhua)
ANKARA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye expressed "deep concern" on Wednesday over the escalating tension in Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.
Ankara condemns Israel's repeal of a 2005 act that ordered the evacuation of four Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank during Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip in 2005, said the statement.
"We also reject the baseless, irresponsible and provocative claims made by some Israeli cabinet members regarding the Palestinian State and its people, which are in no way compatible with political, historical, or current realities," read the statement.
Ankara invited the parties to immediately implement all the points agreed on in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on March 19, in particular respecting the historical status of Jerusalem and the holy places, and to exercise restraint and common sense to ensure that the month of Ramadan, which coincides with Jewish Passover, is spent in peace.
Türkiye and Israel are in a normalization process after years of enmity due to mainly the Palestinian cause. The relations between the two countries were strained in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip clashed with Israeli forces, leaving 10 Turks on board killed.
