Israel picks up Belgian Turks in Jerusalem

brussels - Israel has arrested three Turkish tourists in East Jerusalem. Two of them also have Belgian nationality. The Belgian Consulate General in East Jerusalem has announced this to the Flemish broadcaster VRT Nieuws on Saturday.

On social media there is a video showing that Israeli policemen deny a group of Turkish tourists access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The police picked up three people for unclear reasons. They accompanied Turkish youth who wanted to visit the sanctuary. The tourists wore red traditional Turkish clothing and waved Turkish flags.

The relationship between Turkey and Israel has cooled since the US President Donald Trump decided over two weeks ago to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara should have an embassy in East Jerusalem. Turkey regards East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.