site.btaErdogan Condemns Strikes on Iran and Iran’s Retaliatory Attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday condemned both US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks on "brotherly countries" in the Persian Gulf, calling for renewed diplomacy.

In a live-streamed address, Erdogan said Turkiye was "deeply saddened and concerned" by the attacks on neighboring Iran, which he said began with "Netanyahu’s provocations". He accused Israel of "poisoning the process" of negotiations, arguing that efforts to resolve tensions through dialogue had failed because “the shadow over trust between the parties could not be removed".

Describing the strikes as a violation of Iran’s sovereignty, Erdogan said: "If diplomacy is not given a chance, we will face the danger of our region being pushed into the fire." He added that, regardless of the reasons, Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Gulf states were also unacceptable.

He called on all parties - especially the Islamic world - to prevent further escalation and bloodshed, stressing that Turkiye continues to work for a solution "through peace, dialogue and diplomacy". He said his country’s Foreign Ministry and intelligence services remain in contact with counterparts and that there is no threat to Turkiye’s national security or borders.