Sept. 20, 2025 | Ankara – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared that Türkiye will never surrender even “a single pebble” of Jerusalem to Israel, intensifying tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
Speaking at a public event, Erdoğan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of spreading hostility against Türkiye. “He is spewing hatred at us because we refused to hand over the Silvan Epigraph, a historic legacy of our ancestors,” Erdoğan stated.
The Turkish leader stressed that Jerusalem’s heritage belongs to the Islamic world and Türkiye will firmly protect its cultural and historical treasures. Erdoğan underlined that the Silvan Epigraph, an Ottoman-era inscription in Jerusalem, symbolizes the deep-rooted presence of Islamic civilization in the holy city.
His remarks come amid strained diplomatic ties between Türkiye and Israel, already marked by disputes over Gaza, settlement policies, and the status of Jerusalem. Analysts see Erdoğan’s strong message as part of his broader defense of Palestinian rights and heritage in the region.
Türkiye has consistently opposed Israeli claims over Islamic sites in Jerusalem, vowing to safeguard what Erdoğan calls “the trust of our forefathers.”
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