ANKARA 

Turkey slammed Israel on Tuesday for demolishing Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem, calling the action part of “aggressive” policies to forcefully change the holy city’s demographic makeup.

In a written statement, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the demolition was yet another example of Israel’s “aggressive occupation” policies.

“We strongly condemn such [Israeli] acts towards changing the demographic structure of Jerusalem,” said the statement, calling on Israel to stop illegal actions that damage hopes for a two-state solution.

In addition, the statement urged the international community to protect the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and the rights of Palestinians.

On Monday, bulldozers accompanied by hundreds of Israeli soldiers moved into the neighborhood of Wadi Homs in East Jerusalem and began to raze several buildings in the area.

Israeli authorities claim that the buildings were constructed without a permit.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

In a move never recognized by the international community, Israel annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it the self-proclaimed Jewish state’s “eternal and undivided” capital.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Middle East dispute, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem might one day serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.