Türkiye ready to broker peace in escalating Israel-Iran crisis, says president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his country’s readiness to mediate an end to the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.

In a recent telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdogan reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to fostering peace and stability in the region Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

The leaders discussed not only the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran but also broader regional and global issues. Erdogan highlighted that he has engaged in multiple contacts with various world leaders aimed at resolving the crisis.

During the call, Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s willingness to assume a mediation role with the objective of immediately halting hostilities and facilitating a return to nuclear negotiations. He underscored the critical importance Türkiye places on maintaining peace and stability within its geopolitical neighborhood.

On June 15, during a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump, President Erdogan underscored that diplomacy remains the sole viable avenue for resolving the nuclear dispute, affirming Türkiye’s readiness to exert every effort, including assuming a facilitative role, to achieve this objective.

Erdogan welcomed Trump’s recent statements advocating for an end to the Israel-Iran conflict and the establishment of lasting peace in the region, emphasizing the urgent need for immediate action to prevent a catastrophe that could engulf the entire Middle East in flames.

Highlighting the devastating consequences of the ongoing violence, Erdogan noted that the escalating hostilities—triggered by Israel’s strikes on Iranian military and nuclear installations—have inflicted “irreparable economic and civilian damage” on both sides. He stressed the imperative to halt this perilous trajectory before further destruction ensues.

The conflict erupted in the early hours of June 13 when Israel launched attacks on Iranian military and nuclear sites, resulting in the deaths of several senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Israeli strikes have persisted, met by retaliatory measures from Iran.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to demand that Iran cease its uranium enrichment activities, which Western powers regard as a potential pathway to nuclear weapons development. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

A sixth round of indirect nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, initially scheduled for June 15 in Muscat, was ultimately canceled following the outbreak of hostilities triggered by the Israeli attacks.

By Vafa Guliyeva