Erdoğan urges Muslims worldwide to protect Al-Aqsa

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has urged Muslims to play their role in protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Anger has spilled across the West Bank since last week when Israel shut the Al-Aqsa Mosque, venerated by Muslims and Jews -- who call the site Temple Mount -- following a deadly shootout.

The mosque was reopened after two days, with Israel installing metal detectors and cameras at its gates.

Three Palestinians were killed Friday in protests against the Israeli measures around the holy site. Three Israelis were also killed in an attack in a settlement in the West Bank.

Addressing the Justice and Development (AK) Party's parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdoğan said: "When Israeli soldiers carelessly pollute the grounds of Al-Aqsa with their combat boots by using simple issues as a pretext and then easily spill blood there, the reason [they are able to do that] is we [Muslims] have not done enough to stake our claim over Jerusalem."

Erdoğan said protection of the Muslim holy site is not a just a matter about whether it is possible to do more to protect but a matter of faith.

"Those who are able to should visit Al-Aqsa. For those who cannot visit Al-Aqsa should send aid to our brothers there."

Israel's security cabinet decided late Monday to remove the metal detectors.

A statement released after the meeting said 100 million Israeli shekels would be allocated for a new surveillance system using "smart checks" based on advanced technology.

Jerusalem is sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque represents the Islamic world's third-holiest site after the cities of Mecca and Medina.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday described his trip to the Gulf to deal with the Qatar crisis as "productive and successful", following two days of talks that appeared to yield no immediate progress towards healing the rift.

"The visits on the Gulf tour were productive and successful," Erdoğan told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party at a parliamentary meeting.

"The contacts we have made during this visit have been useful, and we will continue our efforts for the stability and peace of the region with increasing determination."

Erdogan left Qatar on Monday after two days in the Gulf trying to mediate in the worst row among Arab states for years but there was no sign he had made any progress. Turkey has been Qatar's most powerful ally in the dispute.