President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye commented on the situation in Iran and the possibility of a new military operation, saying Türkiye does not want further conflict in the region or to pay the price for conflicts fuelled by others.
In an address delivered after a cabinet meeting and broadcast live on his official social media accounts, Erdoğan said: “We hope that any steps that could plunge our region into violence will be avoided. We do not want to see new tensions or areas of conflict in the region. Nor do we want to pay the price for conflicts started by others.”
Today, representatives of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, the three countries that established the Mecca Joint Defence Alliance, are holding talks with Iranian officials in Tehran to prevent an escalation of tensions and pave the way for a peace agreement.
A common stance against military intervention in Iran was also expressed following a meeting of foreign ministers hosted by Türkiye last Friday, with the participation of Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.
Following today’s cabinet meeting, Erdoğan emphasised that recent reports of attacks targeting neighbouring Iran had paved the way for a further rise in fuel prices. Reassuring citizens that Türkiye had the capacity to overcome the economic challenges it faced, Erdoğan stressed that stability was what the region needed most.
The President of Türkiye said: “This ancient region, which has been home to civilisations for centuries and has shaped the course of human history, fully deserves peace, stability and security. What matters to us is to continue stepping up our efforts along this path without losing stability, deviating from our course or slowing our pace.”