2 Turkish citizens deported after arrest in Jerusalem’s Old City

Two Turkish citizens were deported back to their country and a third has been barred from entering Jerusalem’s Old City following their arrest at the Temple Mount Friday.

By: World Israel News Staff

Three Turkish tourists suspected of assaulting police officers at the Temple Mount on Friday were arrested and spent a day in detention. On Saturday night, they were brought before a magistrate, who released them under restrictive conditions, Ynet News reported.

A photo circulated on social media showed one of the men wearing a T-shirt with a Turkish flag and the other two waving photos of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan outside the Al Aqsa Mosque, according to Ynet.

Upon police request, the Interior Ministry opened a civil procedure on Sunday through the Immigration Authority, which held a hearing on the deportation of two of the suspects, Ynet said.

Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the three Turks had tried to reach Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, where “they planned on taking part in a demonstration” against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. They “carried out an assault on police officers there,” Rosenfeld said. There were no casualties.

Authorities decided to deport to of the assailants this week. The third suspect holds a work permit in Israel and therefore was allowed to stay, but prohibited from entering the Old City.

Erdogan has joined the Palestinians in vociferously opposing Israel’s presence in the Old City and denying the ancient Jewish ties to Jerusalem. “Every day that Jerusalem is under occupation is an insult to Muslims,” he stated in May, encouraging Arabs to flood the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.