Israel Deports Two Turks After Provocations at Temple Mount

Israel’s Interior Ministry ordered the deportation on Saturday and Monday of two of the three Turkish nationals after briefly detaining and releasing them over the weekend following an incident in the Old City of Jerusalem, according to Reuters.

The three were arrested on accusations of having assaulted Israeli police near the entrance to the Temple Mount after Friday prayers.

They reportedly tried to reach the Al Aqsa Mosque in order to take part in a demonstration.

A photo depicting the Turkish tourists during a demonstration on the Temple Mount compound, was circulated on social media showing the men and boys wearing the Ottoman-style burgundy-colored fez hats.

One man is seen wearing the black-and-white cotton checkered keffiyeh of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority around his neck, a bright red tee shirt over his long-sleeved plaid winter shirt adorned with the white crescent of the Turkish flag on his chest, waving a Palestinian Authority flag.

Two men in the group are holding up pictures of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been at the forefront of inciting foreign Muslims to come to Jerusalem and further strengthen violent demonstrations at the Temple Mount.

The two Turkish tourists who were arrested, and who were scheduled for deportation, both had entered Israel on Belgian passports, according to an Interior Ministry spokesperson.

The status of the third Turkish tourist is unclear and no information was available from Israel’s Interior Ministry.