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AFP
Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday denounced as"excessive"the use of force by Israeli security forces in deadly clashes over sensitive Jerusalem holy site.
"I condemn Israel's insistence on its position despite all warnings and the excessive use of force by Israeli forces against our brothers gathered for Friday prayers,"he said in a statement.
Erdogan said that he was speaking in his capacity as the current chairman of the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) whose chairmanship Turkey currently holds.
The clashes the day earlier left three Palestinians dead. Three Israelis were stabbed to death in the West Bank by a 19-year-old Palestinian who was then shot by a neighbour.
Tensions have risen to boiling point over new metal detectors installed by Israel as security measures around the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
