ANKARA 

Greece expressed “deep concern” Tuesday over the bulldozing of a plot of land by Israeli forces which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. 

“We reiterate in the strongest terms our continued support for the protection of the property rights and privileges of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Palestinian sources said Sunday that Israeli forces began bulldozing a 5,000-square-meter (1.23-acre) plot of land owned by the patriarchate in Eastern Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood, which is home to over 60,000 Palestinians.

Last June, the European Union missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed concern over the Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim’s takeover of Greek Orthodox properties in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City.