Construction in Judea and Samaria
Construction in Judea and SamariaiStock

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Sunday blasted the Israeli government following the report that it will approve the construction of 5,400 housing units in Judea and Samaria.

A statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the approval given by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for construction in “settlements” in Judea and Samaria proves that Israel has not given up on its plan to “annex Palestinian territories”.

The construction of the "illegal settlements," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, indicates once again Israel's disregard for international law and UN resolutions.

The statement emphasized that Turkey will not recognize the "illegal" actions carried out by Israel and will continue to stand alongside the Palestinians and defend their interests.

While Israel and Turkey have diplomatic relations, those relations have been strained in recent years as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is a strong advocate of Palestinian Arab rights, has frequently criticized Israel.

The two countries signed a comprehensive reconciliation deal in 2016, ending a six-year diplomatic standoff following a violent encounter between Israeli soldiers and Islamist radicals on a ship attempting to break through the security blockade on Gaza.

Even since the signing of that agreement, the Islamist Turkish President has continued his verbal attacks on Israel.

In the past, Erdogan has accused Israel of being a “terrorist state”, and called Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a “terrorist”, after IDF forces opened fire on infiltrators during a Hamas-led confrontation on the Israel-Gaza border.

Last year, Erdogan condemned Netanyahu’s affirmation of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people as “blatant racism”.

He also stated that his country will oppose anyone who supports Israel and that Turkey will continue to promote the Palestinian cause regardless of efforts to undermine it mainly by supporters of the Israeli regime.