© Adem Altan / Reuters
As tensions over the Temple Mount continue to rise, Ankara says that Jews should treasure the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, when all religions enjoyed freedom of worship. Israel says it's absurd for Turkey to lecture the "only democracy" in the region.
Ankara, along with Tel Aviv, has been vocal regarding the spat over Israel's security measures in and around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site which is holy to both Jews and Muslims.
On Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Jews should place value on the fact that religious tolerance flourished during Ottoman rule in Jerusalem.
"At the Ottoman era, communities belonging to different religions and sects lived in peaceful co-existence and enjoyed freedom of worship for centuries,"
reads a statement by ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu.
Comment: There are close to 70 countries involved in China's One Belt, One Road project. Despite the name, there are six economic corridors spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa. Iran is in a important position for the regions mentioned above, but it is by no means the "centerpiece" of the massive project. No single country is, which makes this project truly unique in nature. Axios is a spin-off created by Politico's founders, and it appears they may be trying to taint the perception of the initiative using the current anti-Iranian sentiment. The world at large is moving in a new direction, and the small-minded propaganda of the US simply can't stand it.