Türkiye has intensified diplomatic efforts to stop the escalating conflict in the Middle East, calling for an immediate ceasefire and renewed negotiations as fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens to destabilise the region.
Speaking in Ankara alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye is maintaining active dialogue with both Tehran and Washington to help end the war.
Fidan stressed that negotiations and diplomacy are now more necessary than ever, warning that the conflict has reached some of its most intense moments in recent days.
The conflict began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint air strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory drone and missile attacks by Tehran across the region. According to Iranian authorities, the strikes have killed more than 1,300 people, including Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Fidan also warned against attempts to destabilise Iran internally, stressing that Türkiye strongly opposes any plan aimed at provoking civil war or exploiting ethnic and religious divisions in the country.
The Turkish minister also criticised Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon, warning they could push the country toward collapse and worsen regional instability. He noted that the fighting has already displaced around one million people.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Ankara’s call for de-escalation, saying Türkiye is working intensively to bring all sides back to the negotiating table.
Erdogan said Ankara is trying to “extinguish the fire before the flames grow larger,” while continuing diplomatic engagement and taking measures to shield Türkiye from the growing instability.
German Foreign Minister Wadephul also stressed the urgency of preventing further escalation and called for a durable solution and a credible regional security framework.
Despite the ongoing violence, Turkish leaders say diplomacy remains the only viable path to ending the conflict and preventing a broader regional war.
Source: TRT News
