Israel slams Erdogan for calling on Muslims to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israel lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in response to his call on Muslims to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque to fight Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem.

Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Erdogan "systematically violates human rights in his country," and thus should not "preach morality to the only true democracy in the region."

The foreign ministry also rejected the frequent complaints about Israel's violations of Muslims' freedom of religion and access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

"Israel adheres strictly to full freedom of worship for Jews, Muslims and Christians, and will continue to do so in spite of baseless slander," it said.

Earlier on Monday, the Turkish leader blasted Israel over its "Muezzin Bill," a government-backed legislation to ban mosques from calling to prayers with loudspeakers.

The Israeli parliament voted in favor of the bill on March 8 but the controversial proposal still needs to pass three more rounds of votes before becoming law.

"We will have a sufficient response to all who want to prevent the sound of the Muezzin in Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem," Erdogan said in a speech at the opening of the International Forum on al-Quds Waqf in Istanbul.

"There is no peace in the region without the Jerusalem and Palestinian issue being solved," he said.

Erdogan also said the United States should cancel the intention of transferring its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"Turkey opposes the transfer of the embassy," he clarified.

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. Shortly later, it annexed the territory and claimed it as part of its "indivisible" capital, which has never been internationally recognized. Endit