Turkish leader urges Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan for solidarity against Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday spoke to his Kyrgyz and Afghan counterparts over the phone amid recent Israeli attacks in Palestine, the presidency said.

In talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Erdogan "exchanged Eid al-Fitr greetings and discussed bilateral relations as well as regional developments."

"President Erdogan stated that they wanted to see Kyrgyzstan alongside Turkey in the initiatives it had launched in the international arena in order for the necessary lesson to be given to Israel which had been attacking the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Gaza and the Palestinians," the statement read.

The Turkish president also held a phone conversation with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani and wished him a happy Eid.

Erdogan noted the importance of taking joint action at all relevant platforms to mobilize the international community in the face of Israel's "brutal" attacks.

Turkey will continue to stand by Afghanistan "in this critical period" as it has always, he added, referring to the escalation of violence and the ongoing peace process in the war-torn country.

Separately, the Turkish president called Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, exchanged Eid al-Fitr greetings, and addressed Israel's aggression.

Erdogan also discussed the situation in Palestine with former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Tensions have been running high since an Israeli court ordered the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, leading to Palestinian protests and Israeli attacks on civilians, including worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.