Turkey says Israeli statement about President Erdoğan 'presumptuous'

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned a statement by the Israeli Foreign Ministry about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling the comments "presumptuous," amid a row over an escalation in the al-Aqsa mosque. 

"The responsibility that rests with Israel is to urgently make common sense prevail, go back to the status quo at Al-Haram Al-Sharif and lift all the restrictions on the freedom of worship.," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hüseyin Müftüoğlu said in a statement on July 26. 

He said communities from several different religions and sects have lived peacefully for many centuries and freely performed their worship. 

"At the Ottoman era, communities belonging to different religions and sects lived in peaceful co-existence and enjoyed freedom of worship for centuries. In this context, Jews would be expected to know best and appreciate the unique tolerance during the Ottoman era," he said.

"Today, in the Republic of Turkey, freedom of faith and worship are also safeguarded by the state," he added. 

"As the Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza completed its 50th year, it is clear that the efforts to disregard the fact that East Jerusalem is under occupation will not contribute to the attainment of peace and stability in the region as well as the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he said. 

On July 25, Israel dismissed remarks by Erdoğan after he accused the country of taking away holy sites in Jerusalem from Muslims. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called Erdogan's remarks "delusional, baseless and distorted." 

"He would do better to deal with the problems and difficulties in his country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon had said.

"The days of...