No one who has visited Jerusalem over the past few years will be surprised by the preponderance of red Turkish flags with their crescent and star, fluttering over the city’s eastern Palestinian neighborhoods. These flags are just one visible manifestation of a major effort by the Turkish government to establish a presence in the Israeli capital. Investigative reports in the press, conducted over the last few years, have revealed the scope of Turkish activity in Jerusalem, which includes the renovation of homes, restoration of mosques and efforts to expose the residents of East Jerusalem to Turkish culture, including cooking workshops and Turkish-language classes. These efforts also include increasing involvement in the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque, as described by Ben Caspit in July 2018.

Three groups oversee Turkish activity in Jerusalem: TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency), which is an international Turkish humanitarian organization, and two local groups, Our Heritage and the Rock of Charity. Now, however, Israel has decided to put an end to this Turkish involvement in Jerusalem affairs. In fact, on Oct. 6, Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz ordered his ministry to prepare plans to put an end to these activities. As part of the ministry’s plan, Israel intends to revoke the head of TIKA’s diplomatic status in Jerusalem, effectively making his presence in Israel illegal. “The era of the Ottoman Empire is over. Turkey has no reason to be in Jerusalem,” said the Foreign Ministry in an especially bellicose statement. “[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s declarations that Jerusalem belongs to all Muslims are absolutely baseless and ridiculous. Israel maintains sovereignty in Jerusalem, while ensuring freedom of worship for all religions. We will not allow anyone to interrupt this sovereignty.”

At the forefront of efforts to pressure the government on this issue is Maor Tzemach, chairman of Lach Yerushalayim, a local organization that keeps close track of Turkish activity in Jerusalem. “There is Islamic dawa [charitable] activity by Turkey here,” he told Al-Monitor. “People wandering around East Jerusalem might think that they are visiting a Turkish city. There are voluminous amounts of flags, stickers and signage, and the Turkish presence is very obvious. This includes charitable activity. In winter, they distribute heaters, warm clothing and food stamps. Last Ramadan, they handed out $100 to all businesses in the Old City. They are involved in the educational system, they renovate buildings and they organize heavily subsidized and even free trips [from Turkey to Al-Aqsa Mosque]. As someone on the ground here, I am constantly surprised by the scope of this activity."

Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, a Turkish-born expert on modern Turkey at Tel Aviv University, is convinced that what Turkey is doing is no innocent charitable activity. “We are talking about a neo-Ottoman policy that Erdogan has been promoting over the past few years. Its goal is to bolster Turkish control in Jerusalem,” he told Al-Monitor. “As far as he is concerned, the fact that the Ottomans once ruled here means that he is no stranger to Jerusalem. He is also challenging Israeli sovereignty in the city. Turkish activity in Jerusalem is his way of engaging in the soft conquest of al-Quds [Jerusalem].”