Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said today, Tuesday, that his country has reached an understanding with Israel to continue the dialogue, but that this does not come at the expense of the Palestinian issue, pointing to the contribution of this dialogue to reducing tension.
Cavusoglu indicated that Turkey had warned the Israeli government regarding the flags' march in occupied Jerusalem, stressing the need to abandon such "provocative" steps against the Palestinians.
"They say that they will preserve the status quo of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but we want to see that in action," noting that dialogue with Israel is in place, but Turkey's red lines are clear.
He added, "The Palestinian issue, Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque and its status are very sensitive issues for us, and the Israeli government knows that."
He explained that dialogue and action are present in the relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv, noting that he had agreed with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid - during his visit to the Palestinian territories and Israel last week - to discuss appointing an ambassador on the sidelines of his upcoming visit to Turkey.
Regarding the "EastMed" project to build the eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline, in which Cyprus, Greece and Israel participate, Cavusoglu said that it was a political step, and Turkey warned against it, "and in the end everyone, led by the United States, realized that it was a political and unenforceable project."
The Turkish official stressed the need to protect the rights of the Palestinians in the event of any drilling operations off the coast of the besieged Gaza Strip.
He added, "In the event that any activities or drilling operations are carried out in the exclusive economic zone of Gaza, there should be a fair sharing of resources between Palestine and Israel, and we have informed them of the necessary in this regard."
discussions
It is noteworthy that on May 24 and 25, the Turkish Foreign Minister visited the Palestinian territories and Israel, in the first visit of its kind by a senior Turkish official in more than 10 years, during which he held talks in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki. He also held talks with Israeli officials, led by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
Cavusoglu's visit came after the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ankara last March, during which he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.