25 December 2017•Update: 26 December 2017
By Turgut Alp Boyraz and Eshat Firat
JERUSALEM
Two Turkish nationals detained by Israeli police on Friday in East Jerusalem have been deported.
Two of those deported -- Abdullah Kizilirmak and Mehmet Gargili -- were also accused of "assaulting police” and “resisting arrest".
Three Turks were arrested Friday at East Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex before being released on bail by an Israeli court the following day.
The third Turkish national -- Adem Koc -- was accused by the Israeli authorities of "disturbing public order” and “taking part in an illegal demonstration".
According to eyewitness accounts, Israeli police arrested Kizilirmak and Gargili, both of whom had tried to attend Friday prayers in the mosque compound.
One eyewitness said that the pair -- both of whom are dual Belgian-Turkish nationals -- had been wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the Turkish flag when they had attempted to enter the compound.
Tension has mounted in the Palestinian territories since Dec. 6, when U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, drawing protest and condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top Turkish officials have remained at the forefront of international opposition to the U.S. move.
Last Thursday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution -- by a vote of 128 to 9 -- calling on Trump to reverse the decision.
