“In this city, from which we had to leave crying during the First World War, it is still possible to find traces of the Ottoman resistance. So Jerusalem is our city, ”he said.

“Our first qibla (Islamic prayer direction), al-Aqsa, and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem are the symbolic mosques of our faith. In addition, this city is home to the holy places of Christianity and Judaism, “writes The Times of Israel.

The Ottoman Empire ruled Jerusalem from 1516 to 1917, until Britain conquered it after World War I.

Erdogan is increasingly pushing secular and constitutional Turkey towards conservative Islam and considers Jerusalem an extension of Turkey, writes the Romanian Tribune.

In Thursday’s speech, Erdogan condemned “Israel’s oppression of the Palestinians and disregard for Jerusalem’s private life.”

“The Jerusalem problem is not a common geopolitical problem for us. First, the present Old City, which is the heart of Jerusalem, was built by Suleiman the Magnificent, with its walls, bazaar and many of its buildings. Our ancestors they have shown respect for centuries and have held this city in high regard. “

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