Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday denounced as "excessive" the use of force by Israeli security forces in clashes around a sensitive Jerusalem holy site that left three Palestinians dead.

"I condemn Israel's insistence on its position despite all warnings... and the excessive use of force by Israeli forces against our brothers gathered for Friday prayers," he said in a statement after the clashes the day earlier around the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

source: AFP