Erdoğan calls for unity within regions to avoid further conflict during war

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has cautioned that the prolonged conflict between the U.S.-Israel and Iran heightens the risk of sparking a full-scale armed confrontation among regional nations. He reiterated his appeals for a return to diplomacy and dialogue to halt the ongoing war.

“Among the imminent dangers in our region, in addition to the prolonged conflict, is the potential for it to escalate into a regional internal clash. Unfortunately, retaliatory actions targeting infrastructure only exacerbate this risk,” Erdoğan informed his Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group during his weekly address on April 1 in Ankara.

Erdoğan highlighted Iran’s ongoing retaliatory strikes, primarily aimed at civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries, especially energy facilities, since the onset of the war on Feb. 28.

Emphasizing that the conflict is evolving to become increasingly dangerous and threatening, Erdoğan underscored that it comes at the expense of disrupting global and regional peace efforts.

“Our primary objective is to navigate through this turbulent period without incident. We are committed to shielding Turkey from this conflagration,” Erdoğan stated, noting that the government is pursuing a cautious, restrained, balanced, and rational approach.

<p"Turkey's position is unequivocal. We view it as our duty to take necessary actions, without hesitation, to ensure the prevalence of peace," he declared, mentioning that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, and National Intelligence Organization chief Hakan Fidan have been actively involved in international forums dedicated to finding a resolution to end the conflict.

The president asserted that the war in the Middle East, marked by civilian casualties, serves only to prolong Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political tenure and emphasized that Israel bears primary responsibility for the conflict in the region and the global economic disruption.

<p"Our aspiration is for a path to peace to emerge without further bloodshed. To this end, we will uphold our responsibilities," he added.

Erdoğan underscored that Turkey has been a prominent advocate for halting the war, noting that this stance has garnered international acclaim.