Türkiye opposes strikes on Iran, seeks to prevent further escalation — Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has voiced strong concern over ongoing Israeli strikes on Iran, calling the attacks "unacceptable" and warning of the potential for a wider regional crisis if tensions are not contained.

Speaking at a meeting with trade union representatives in Ankara on June 23, Erdoğan said Türkiye was engaged in intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the situation from spiralling into a larger catastrophe, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that the attacks by Israel and its supporters against our neighbour Iran do not lead to an even greater disaster. An attack on Iran is unacceptable,” he said.

On June 21, Erdoğan said that Israel’s strikes on Iran, launched just ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States, were an attempt to derail the negotiations. He argued the move reflected Israel’s unwillingness to resolve matters through diplomacy.

Speaking at a gathering of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Erdoğan called on nations with sway over Israel to reject what he described as its “poisonous” rhetoric and to prioritise dialogue in order to prevent the conflict from escalating further.

By Aghakazim Guliyev