Turkey slams Israel for Jerusalem evictions

Afaf al-Ghawi stands among her family's belongings following their eviction from their home in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied east Jerusalem. Turkey has slammed Israel for evicting Palestinian families from east Jerusalem, warning of serious repercussions for peace efforts in the Middle East. (AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)

Tue Aug 4, 11:28 am ET

ANKARA (AFP) – Turkey on Tuesday slammed Israel for evicting Palestinian families from east Jerusalem, warning of serious repercussions for peace efforts in the Middle East.

A foreign ministry statement urged Israel to "refrain from steps that would harm confidence between the parties and change the status of east Jerusalem," stressing that "this is vital for peace efforts."

"We call for an immediate end to this action," it said.

Club-wielding Israeli police evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in occupied east Jerusalem Sunday, after which clashes erupted in the upmarket Arab district of Sheikh Jarrah.

The action followed a decision by Israel's Supreme Court to order the eviction of the 53 Palestinians.

Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state that includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Six Day War and subsequently annexed it in a move the international community has not recognized.

Turkey has been Israel's main regional ally since the two signed a military cooperation accord in 1996, but Ankara's criticism of the Jewish state has remarkably mounted in recent years.

In January, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out from a debate on the Gaza war in Davos with Israeli President Shimon Peres after accusing Israel of "barbarian" acts against the Palestinians.