PALESTINE

Sat 20 Sep 2025 4:28 pm - Jerusalem Time

"The Treasure of Jerusalem" that sparked a diplomatic war.. Why does Erdogan refuse to hand over the "Silwan Inscription" to Netanyahu?

Amid unprecedented tension in relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv due to the war in Gaza, a new diplomatic and cultural bombshell has erupted, featuring the "Silwan Inscription," an ancient stone tablet dating back 2,700 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignited the crisis by revealing previous attempts to recover the inscription, to which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan responded decisively: "We will not give even a single pebble that belongs to the noble Jerusalem," accusing Netanyahu of "inciting hatred."

The story began last Monday when Netanyahu recounted during the inauguration of an archaeological tunnel in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem that he attempted in 1998 to strike a deal with then-Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz.

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"The Treasure of Jerusalem" that sparked a diplomatic war.. Why does Erdogan refuse to hand over the "Silwan Inscription" to Netanyahu?

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