Erdogan: Middle East engulfed in violence, civilians suffer

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Türkiye, warned that the Middle East is once again engulfed in violence, with conflicts persisting for long periods and new crises emerging almost daily. He said the latest war against Iran, “instigated by Israel,” has inflicted severe damage not only on the region but also on the global economy.

Erdogan noted that while peaceful resolutions remain possible at the negotiating table, miscalculations and provocations by “forces blinded by a thirst for blood” have fueled renewed violence, TRT Haber reports.

“On the first day of the attack, tragically, 175 girls were killed in one of the primary schools. The death toll in Iran has reached 2,000. Meanwhile, religious leaders, including Ali Khamenei, and other senior Iranian officials were killed. The infrastructure of our neighbor Iran has been heavily damaged. The Iranian people, already struggling under economic embargoes, are now fighting for survival amid daily bombings,” Erdogan said.

He emphasized that innocent civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—are paying a heavy price despite bearing no responsibility for the conflict. Strikes on oil refineries, water facilities, energy plants, and transport infrastructure, he said, have worsened the humanitarian situation.

Erdogan also highlighted the global economic repercussions of the attacks on Iran, particularly rising oil prices, and warned that continued conflict would increase both human losses and worldwide economic damage.

“I want to stress one point: Türkiye is not a country that remains indifferent to crises in its surroundings or turns away from its friends and brothers. We are not a nation guided by the principle ‘may the snake which doesn't bite me live for a thousand years.’ On the contrary, we are a state that takes risks, assumes responsibility, and, when necessary, steps up to help resolve crises. For many years, we have worked to prevent tensions from escalating into conflict and to seek solutions through negotiation. Since the start of this conflict, we have maintained contacts with both Iran and the United States, as well as other relevant countries in the region. In this context, I have conducted more than 20 phone calls. Our colleagues have also maintained constant contact with their counterparts,” Erdogan stressed.

The Turkish president expressed hope for a cessation of hostilities and a return to negotiations. He said Türkiye is acting with caution to protect itself from the consequences of the conflict and to prevent possible escalation scenarios, including inflaming interfaith tensions.

Erdogan also reiterated Türkiye’s stance against dividing people by nationality or religion:

“For us as a nation, there are no distinctions between Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Shiites, or Sunnis—there are only people. Whether they are near us or on the other side of the world, whoever faces injustice, whoever is a victim, whoever struggles, we stand with them. We have done this before in our neighbor Iraq. Fifteen years ago, we did this in famine-stricken Somalia. Thirteen and a half years ago, we did it in our neighbor Syria. We are doing this in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. We have done this in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya, and many other places, and we continue to do so.”

By Vafa Guliyeva