Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has said Turkey is to send a team of experts to Jerusalem to survey archaeological work near al-Aqsa mosque, which has triggered protests across the Muslim world.
Ehud Olmert, his Israeli counterpart, on a visit to Ankara on Thursday, welcomed the decision, saying: "We have nothing to hide."
The excavation has provoked anger and at least 20 Palestinians and 15 Israeli police were injured last Friday in protests at the site, the third holiest in Islam.
Olmert insisted that the work would not the damage the compound.
He said: "We are very happy to host the prime minister's team and therefore the right and correct and exact story will come out."
Turkey is one of the few countries in the region to enjoy good ties with both Israel and the Palestinians.
Live excavations
Israel has video cameras to film the excavations in a bid to assuage Muslim anger over the project.
The cameras are to broadcast live footage of the archaeological excavations near al-Aqsa mosque while work is under way, will remain on 24 hours a day.
The feed began broadcasting on Thursday afternoon and can be viewed on the Israel Antiquities Authority website.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, said on Sunday he would suspend construction work to replace a damaged wooden bridge leading to al-Aqsa compound with a stone ramp.
However, the other excavations have continued.
Court case
Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, the mufti of Jerusalem, and Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of Israel's Islamic Movement, have heavily criticised the excavations and urged Palestinians to mobilise against the project.
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Palestinians were arrested during last week's
clashes at the al-Aqsa compound [EPA] |
On Thursday, a Jerusalem court found Salah guilty of participating in an "illegal demonstration" and extended a ban prohibiting Salah from approaching Jerusalem's Old City for two months, the AFP news agency reported.
Salah said he would ignore the court order and that he intended to head to al-Aqsa mosque on Friday for the main weekly Muslim prayers.
Israel maintains the work poses no risk to the holy site, also venerated as the location of the ancient Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The second Palestinian uprising - or intifada - erupted in September 2000 after a visit by Ariel Sharon, the then Israeli opposition leader, to the compound.