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Turks shocked by Al-Aqsa Mosque clashes

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel "barbaric" after the latest clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinians clean the Al Aqsa mosque after clashes with Israeli police on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City November 5, 2014. Israeli security forces hurling stun grenades clashed with Palestinian stone-throwers at al-Aqsa mosque - a confrontation that has played out frequently over the past several weeks. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST RELIGION) - RTR4CY3R

It remains a mystery to outside observers what exactly happened the morning of Nov. 5 at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, though it's certain that the morning's events triggered speculation of an imminent third intifada. Based on Turkish news coverage, the general perception was that Israeli security forces entered the mosque and clashed with the Palestinians praying inside, throwing several Qurans to the floor.

"You cannot soil these sacred grounds with your dirty boots — you can only smear your souls," Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan said Nov. 6. "What will happen if a state, a government, an administration derails and acts in a perverted way and conducts persecution?"

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