“The recent atmosphere created by Greece in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean will be used as an opportunity to solve problems.“, was a message sent by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoganspeaking today at iftar as part of Ramadan.

In particular, in a statement he made at the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to Turkish ambassadors, the Turkish president said that Ankara “supports steps that contribute to stability and peace in the Balkans, and that, despite injustices, from suffered, EU membership remains a strategic goal for Turkey.”

These statements come up following visits by Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Minister of Immigration Notis Mitarakis to earthquake-affected areas of Turkey.

Erdogan: Israel ‘crossed a red line’

In the clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, Tayyip Erdogan was previously mentioned, stressing that Israel “crossed a red line.”

“Türkiye cannot remain silent in the face of such attacks. Trampling the Al-Aqsa Mosque is our red line,” the Turkish President said during an iftar (dinner after breaking the fast) with a group of pensioners. “The Palestinians are not alone,” Erdogan stressed.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from Brussels, where he attended the NATO summit, called the clashes “unacceptable.” “Normalization (of Turkey’s relations) with Israel has begun, but our commitment cannot be at the expense of the Palestinian cause and our principles,” he continued, assessing that “these attacks have crossed the line.”

Israeli police said more than 350 people were arrested overnight in these violent clashes. The unrest in one of Islam’s holiest sites comes as Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Jews celebrate Easter, amid tensions between Israelis and Palestinians since the start of the year.