Politics
Erdoğan leads peace diplomacy as Israel-Iran tensions simmer
As Israel and Iran respond to each other’s attacks, which started with Israel’s coordinated strikes across Iran on Friday, Iran’s neighbor and Israel’s chief critic, Türkiye, remains concerned. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan coordinates the response to the developments in the region through intensive phone diplomacy. Erdoğan held talks with leaders from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian since the attacks and convened a security meeting at the Presidential Complex on Saturday.
Türkiye adheres to its stance that Israel is a primary threat to the region, especially in light of its expansionist policies. Ankara advocates that Israel was emboldened by the inaction of the international community and spread its conflict with the Palestinians to a wider region. This stance was evident in Erdoğan’s talks over the weekend.
Erdoğan told his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that Türkiye sees nuclear negotiations as the only way to resolve the Israel-Iran conflict, the president’s office said.
According to a statement by his office, Erdoğan told Trump over the phone that Türkiye supports the U.S. view that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the dispute and Ankara’s readiness “to do everything it can to prevent uncontrolled escalation of the tension.”
The two leaders discussed the Israel-Iran conflict and regional and global issues, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications. President Erdoğan said Türkiye is closely monitoring the tension between Iran and Israel, adding that it sees talks over Iran’s nuclear program as “the only way” to resolve the dispute. He “expressed support for the U.S. position that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the issue.” Trump has also urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program before it is too late. However, the sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington which was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat was canceled.
‘Devastating war’
Erdoğan also warned against a “devastating war” that could trigger a refugee crisis, in a series of calls to regional leaders, his office added. Speaking to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdoğan said that Israel was seeking “to drag the whole region into the fire,” according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency. This viewpoint echoes Türkiye’s earlier concern about Israel’s expansionist policies after Israeli security forces targeted Lebanon and killed the Hezbollah leaders in a series of attacks and assassinations.
To Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdoğan said: “Our region cannot tolerate another crisis, and a devastating war could create waves of irregular migration toward all the countries in the region.” Türkiye already hosts millions of Syrians, who fled their civil war, as well as Iranians seeking lives away from their country’s authoritarian rulers. The influx has created political tensions in Türkiye.
Erdoğan told Saudi Arabia’s prince that Israel needed “to be stopped,” calling it “the main threat to stability and security in the region,” the statement from the Presidency said. The issue of Iran’s nuclear program “can only be resolved through negotiations,” he added. “The fact that the international community has closed its eyes to the occupation and genocide in Palestine has led Israel to this level of flouting the law and its aggression,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying.
In talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Erdoğan said the cycle of violence caused by Israel threatens the region, emphasizing the importance of Syria staying out of the conflict. The Turkish president stressed the need for heightened vigilance against terrorist groups and radical elements in the current climate of Israeli aggression. Syria already faces an Israeli threat as the latter made an incursion into the country following the fall of the Assad regime last December and seized parts of the Golan Heights between the two countries. Israel also continued bombings of several locations within Syria after al-Sharaa-led forces toppled the Assad regime.
Erdoğan also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
He told Egypt’s el-Sissi that Israel’s attacks “seriously” harm regional security and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawlessness threatens global stability, Türkiye’s communications directorate said on X. Erdoğan said the Netanyahu government’s disregard for international law poses a global threat to stability.
Stressing that the region cannot afford another crisis, Erdoğan warned that Israel is trying to derail efforts for a nuclear deal with Iran. He underlined the importance of continuing the talks, which are mediated by Oman, and urged that Israel’s attacks on Iran should not be allowed to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Erdoğan warned that Israel’s attacks on Iran constitute a provocation that could seriously harm the region’s security, stressing that “the aggressive and lawless stance” of Israel and the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu creates a global issue for stability and security. Noting that the global community’s silence on the occupation and genocide in Palestine has enabled Israel’s aggression to escalate to this level, Erdoğan said these attacks undermine efforts to resolve the issue over Iran’s nuclear program. Any potential nuclear leakage resulting from Israel’s strikes threatens civilians as well as regional and global health – an issue Israel is disregarding, he added. Stressing that the region cannot tolerate another crisis, President Erdoğan said continuing nuclear talks is the only way to resolve the conflict. The Turkish leader also urged that these attacks should not overshadow the Palestinian cause.
Silence over occupation and genocide in Palestine has empowered Israel’s actions in Iran, Erdoğan told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a phone call, said Türkiye’s communications directorate on X.
Israel’s attacks on Iran are “unacceptable,” he said, adding the attacks have seriously damaged regional security, Tel Aviv poses a threat to global stability and security, he warned. He also noted that the attacks by Israel undermine efforts to resolve Iran’s nuclear program. He highlighted the importance of not allowing Israel to use these attacks to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that the two agreed that “Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran” was “a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”
On Sunday, Erdoğan held a phone call with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The president and the sultan discussed the conflict, as well as regional and global issues, media reports said.
Also on Saturday, Erdoğan chaired a security meeting.
At the meeting, the conflict sparked by Israel’s attacks was thoroughly discussed from all angles, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said.
The session addressed the impact of Israeli attacks on regional and global security, along with Türkiye’s possible contingency measures.
“The security meeting addressed Israel’s expanding aggression, diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts, the attacks’ global and regional security impacts, necessary measures and Türkiye’s preparations for potential developments,” the communications directorate said.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, head of the intelligence organization Ibrahim Kalın and Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were among the officials who attended the meeting.
In the aftermath of Israel’s attacks on Iran on Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a similar meeting with Kalın and Güler and stated that Israel must immediately abandon its strategy to destabilize the region. In a post on X after the four-hour security meeting, Fidan said that Ankara had been in close contact with the U.S., Iran, Iraq and Jordan. He added that Türkiye had taken necessary measures at the highest level against regional security risks.
Media outlets reported that Türkiye has been monitoring the activity of Israeli warplanes since the first attack, and authorities regularly briefed Erdoğan on the developments. After the attacks on Iran, Fidan talked with his counterparts in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon about the situation. The countries reportedly agreed to share information directly about the developments.
Türkiye maintains good ties with Iran, while its relations with Israel sharply deteriorated after the renewed Palestine-Israel conflict in 2023, at a time of debate on whether to normalize ties between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which was harmed by Israel’s aggression targeting Palestinians, particularly Gaza, in the past.
Iranian influx denied
Another fallout of the conflict may be an influx of Iranians fleeing the attacks, as speculated on Turkish social media. Though this might be true if the conflict escalates and forces the displacement of Iranians, Türkiye denied claims that a wave of migrants is heading to Türkiye already. The Presidency’s Directorate of Communication’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in a recent statement that the reports were untrue and aimed to disseminate disinformation. The center noted that the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of migration, confirmed no unusual activity on the Turkish-Iranian border, nor a change in the pace of irregular migration on the border, which is usually a route for irregular migrants traveling from Asian countries like Afghanistan.
The center said the border is monitored around the clock by security forces utilizing high technology, from thermal cameras to optical towers. “Reports (of the influx) likely aim to stir up speculations, particularly to promote xenophobia and fuel destabilization. Our citizens should not heed such content of disinformation and pay attention only to statements by authorities,” the center said in a statement.
On the contrary, there was an influx of Iranians returning home over the weekend. As airspaces remained closed, Iranian nationals visiting Türkiye and those living there took the long route of land travel. Bus companies in Istanbul, one of the most popular cities for Iranian visitors, added more trips to their itinerary over rising demand. Bus rides were also popular for Iranians arriving from third countries who tried to reach their countries amid cancellations of flights from Türkiye and other regional countries into Iran.
Ömer Sağdıç, a bus driver taking 47 Iranian passengers to the Gürbulak border crossing with Iran from Istanbul, told Demirören News Agency (DHA) that they used to see a surge in Iranian visitors to Türkiye, but it has reversed now. “People are rushing to see their families, to check whether they are safe. The demand is high and people have to wait for one day to find tickets,” he said on Sunday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday described the trilateral cooperation mechanism between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia as a guarantor of peace and stability in the South Caucasus, highlighting the growing importance of the Middle Corridor as a strategic link connecting Europe and Asia.
Speaking at a joint news conference following a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Istanbul, Fidan said the platform had become an important vehicle for advancing regional cooperation, connectivity and economic development at a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainty.
“The Middle Corridor has become one of the strategic backbones of our trilateral cooperation,” Fidan said, referring to the trade and transportation route stretching across the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
The corridor spans from China’s Lianyungang province through Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia, before reaching Türkiye. It is increasingly seen as an alternative to Russia-dependent routes and traditional maritime pathways, which face rising costs and security pressures.
Fidan said the cooperation mechanism serves not only the common interests of the three countries but also contributes to peace, stability and sustainable prosperity across the wider region.
“We view this mechanism as one of the guarantees of peace, stability and sustainable prosperity in the South Caucasus,” he said.
The foreign minister noted that the world is experiencing a period marked by simultaneous geopolitical crises, rising economic uncertainty and growing concerns over energy security.
“In such a period, the environment of peace and cooperation we have established in our region represents genuine strategic value,” Fidan said.
He argued that the partnership among Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia contributes to stability, connectivity and energy supply security across a vast geography extending from Europe to Asia.
Energy cooperation remains a central pillar of the trilateral relationship, Fidan said, emphasizing that major infrastructure projects developed jointly by the three countries have helped minimize the impact of global energy disruptions.
“Access to energy at reasonable costs and without interruption has become a vital issue for the entire world,” he said.
Fidan said the next objective is to create a more integrated region through expanded energy, transportation and communications infrastructure, a move he said would provide a safer, faster and more predictable transit route between Europe and Asia.
As part of those efforts, he highlighted the strategic importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, a key transportation corridor linking the three countries. He described a ceremony held on June 2 on the Georgian section of the railway line as an important milestone toward achieving full operational capacity.
“We aim to maximize the benefits of this strategic route and generate greater added value for our region,” Fidan said.
The Turkish foreign minister also stressed that regional prosperity depends on stronger connectivity and cooperation, arguing that economic integration can reinforce peace while peace itself creates conditions for deeper regional partnerships.
Azerbaijan, Armenia peace
The ministers also discussed efforts to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus, particularly ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Fidan said Türkiye supports the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and hopes a peace agreement can be signed without delay.
“The will demonstrated by the parties has opened a concrete window of opportunity for our region,” he said.
He added that Türkiye’s own normalization process with Armenia continues in close coordination with Azerbaijan.
The year 2025 marked a period of intensified engagement between the two former Soviet nations, with contacts expanding from political dialogue to confidence-building measures on the ground.
A major breakthrough came on Aug. 8, when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Washington under U.S. mediation and signed a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to ending decades of conflict. On the same occasion, the foreign ministers of both countries initialed a peace agreement, underscoring a shared determination to advance toward full normalization.
According to Fidan, the strengthening of peace would accelerate connectivity projects throughout the region, while enhanced connectivity would help solidify the social and economic foundations of peace.
“This cycle serves the common interests of the entire region,” he said.
Despite positive developments in the South Caucasus, Fidan warned that the broader regional security environment continues to face serious risks.
Among the issues discussed during the meeting were ongoing diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States. Fidan said ending the conflict that has threatened regional and global stability remains essential and reiterated Türkiye’s support for diplomacy and dialogue.
“Türkiye will continue to support diplomacy and dialogue during this critical period,” he underlined.
The foreign minister also addressed the Russia-Ukraine war, describing a peaceful resolution as crucial for regional stability and security. He said Ankara remains concerned about the current deadlock both on the battlefield and in diplomatic negotiations.
“The steps taken by the parties to improve their positions have unfortunately increased tensions on the ground,” Fidan said
He pointed to recent attacks in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as examples of the dangers posed by continued escalation.
Fidan also expressed condolences to Azerbaijan over recent casualties linked to regional tensions, extending his sympathies to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and the Azerbaijani people.
Concluding the meeting, Fidan said the three countries had reaffirmed their shared vision for the future of the South Caucasus and their commitment to deepening cooperation.
“The stronger cooperation among our countries becomes, the safer, more prosperous and more stable the South Caucasus will be,” he said.
Türkiye’s Disinformation Combat Center (DMM) on Monday has denied reports alleging that Turkish fighter jets harassed aircraft carrying Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and other European officials or violated Greek airspace.
In a statement posted on social media, the DMM described the claims as false and said Turkish aircraft did not engage in any harassment activities.
According to the statement, six aircraft were operating on routes between Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration on June 7. The DMM said four of those aircraft violated the airspace of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), prompting the deployment of two Turkish F-16 fighter jets stationed in the TRNC for air policing duties.
The agency said the Turkish jets operated exclusively within TRNC airspace and did not enter the airspace of the Greek Cypriot administration.
The DMM also rejected allegations that Turkish aircraft violated Greek airspace during flights conducted on June 6 as part of celebrations marking the 115th anniversary of the Turkish Air Force and the “Youth and Aviation Festival.”
According to the statement, all flights were carried out within the designated operational area of the 2nd Main Jet Base Command and did not enter Greek airspace.
The center urged the public not to give credence to what it described as claims aimed at creating provocation and misleading international audiences.
The allegations emerged amid longstanding tensions between Türkiye and Greece over airspace, maritime boundaries and Eastern Mediterranean disputes.
Tensions have flared intermittently in recent years between the historic rivals, who remain divided over where their continental shelves begin and end in the Aegean, an area believed to hold significant energy potential and linked to disputes over airspace and overflights.
Türkiye and Greece are at odds over a range of issues, including disputes in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, airspace and maritime jurisdiction claims, the status of demilitarized islands and the Cyprus question.
Despite periodic tensions, the two NATO allies have in recent years pursued a cautious normalization process through high-level diplomatic contacts, confidence-building measures and cooperation on trade, migration and tourism, while continuing to maintain sharply differing positions on sovereignty and regional security matters.
On the other hand, Ankara deployed six F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to the TRNC on March 9, describing the move as a legitimate measure to strengthen deterrence and protect airspace against rising missile and drone threats.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is already divided but all eyes are still on the party’s parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
In the Turkish political tradition, group meetings offer a platform for the chairs to relay the party’s views on current developments and broadcast live on national television. The CHP, however, now has two chairs: Özgür Özel, who was ousted from the office over a vote-buying trial, and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, his predecessor who was reinstated as the outcome of the same trial.
Özel last week defied the Kılıçdaroğlu administration and spoke at the parliamentary group meeting, this time as parliamentary group chairperson of the party. His speech was peppered with criticism of the Kılıçdaroğlu administration and the former leader now apparently decided to hit back as he announced he would address the lawmakers at Tuesday’s meeting at Parliament. It is unclear whether Özel will attempt to make the speech in the presence of the chair, who was branded as “traitor” by Özel’s supporters. But all signs show he is intent to defy Kılıçdaroğlu. Özel was scheduled to attend an event to honor a late mayor of the CHP in his constituency Manisa but media outlets reported that he scrapped the plans and will be at the parliament on Tuesday.
It is the first time at Parliament that a party is sharply divided yet all members still retain memberships. The CHP is notorious for disrupting the parliamentary sessions in the past but this time, it is likely that the parliamentary group meeting will be a chaotic occasion as the anger is brewing over Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon a plan to arm Iranian opposition groups and Iraqi Kurdish groups against Tehran after details of the proposal were allegedly leaked to Türkiye by officials within the White House, Israeli media outlets reported Friday.
Citing security sources, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli officials believed Washington would support the proposal because it could increase pressure on Tehran without requiring U.S. ground forces to enter Iran.
The report alleged that details of the initiative, which involved arming Iranian opposition and Iraqi Kurdish groups, were passed to Türkiye by certain White House officials. According to the claims, Erdoğan subsequently raised the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump and convinced him to cancel the plan.
Israeli sources reportedly accused U.S. Vice President JD Vance of leaking information about the proposal. However, Vance’s special assistant and press secretary, Luke Schroeder, denied the allegation.
Under the reported plan, Israel would have provided not only a no-fly zone for Kurdish groups but also air support against Iranian forces attempting to halt their advance.
The report further claimed that Israel intended to supply opposition groups with weapons seized from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It added that publication of the information had received approval from Israeli military censors.
The allegations follow remarks by former Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (AMAN) chief Tamir Hayman, who recently told U.S. broadcaster PBS that Israel had explored a range of covert options aimed at destabilizing the Iranian government.
According to Hayman, those discussions included encouraging attacks by groups opposed to Tehran, including organizations linked to the PKK terrorist group, and other efforts designed to weaken the Iranian leadership.
Hayman also claimed that a plan to arm anti-Iran Kurdish groups ultimately failed after Erdoğan persuaded Trump not to proceed.
Separate reports in the Israeli press later alleged that Mossad had supplied weapons to Iranian opposition Kurdish groups as part of efforts to undermine the government in Tehran.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş on Friday called for intensified efforts to build a new global political and economic order, arguing that existing international institutions are increasingly unable to respond to conflicts and global crises.
Speaking at a roundtable event hosted by the Swedish Institute of International Affairs during an official visit to Stockholm, Kurtulmuş met with academics, diplomats and representatives of think tanks to discuss Türkiye’s role in a changing world, the future of Europe, NATO and the reform of the international system.
Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s long-standing call for reform of the United Nations Security Council, “The world is bigger than five,” Kurtulmuş said, “We must intensify our efforts toward establishing a new global economic and political architecture. More than ever, what is needed today is a renewed commitment to dialogue, negotiation and mediation for peace.”
Kurtulmuş emphasized that the world was undergoing a profound transformation marked by armed conflicts, migration pressures, climate change and rapid technological advances. He argued that current international institutions have suffered a loss of both legitimacy and effectiveness.
“The institutions still exist, but their influence is becoming increasingly limited,” he said. “The United Nations Security Council’s capacity to prevent crises and end wars has been largely neutralized by the veto powers of its permanent members.”
He pointed to the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict involving Iran, and the situation in Gaza as examples of the shortcomings of the current international system.
Kurtulmuş accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and imposing an apartheid-like regime on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, describing the Palestinian issue as a test of humanity’s conscience.
“When Gaza is destroyed and this is described as an operation, when the discourse of counterterrorism is used to justify genocide, and when humanitarian aid blockades are presented as security measures, international law begins to collapse,” he said.
The speaker also highlighted growing strategic ties between Türkiye and Sweden following Stockholm’s accession to NATO in 2024, saying the alliance remained a cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security.
Kurtulmuş noted that Türkiye would host two major NATO gatherings in the coming weeks: the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul on June 28-29 and the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Ankara on July 7-8.
He said the meetings would provide an opportunity to reaffirm the alliance’s political unity and strategic objectives while strengthening transatlantic ties.
A fisherman was killed after a Turkish-flagged fishing boat was attacked in the Black Sea west of the Crimean Peninsula, causing the vessel to sink, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Coast Guard Command.
The vessel, identified as the DURU 67, was operating off Sevastopol when it sustained damage during the attack on June 5, the statement said.
A nearby Turkish fishing boat, BURAK KAYA, evacuated five injured fishermen from the sinking vessel and began heading toward the northern Turkish coast near Inebolu. However, one of the injured fishermen, who was reported to be in critical condition, died during the journey.
The Coast Guard said patrol vessel TCSG-96 reached BURAK KAYA at 7:20 p.m. local time in the northern section of Türkiye’s Search and Rescue Region, about 115 nautical miles from İnebolu Port.
The body of the deceased fisherman and the injured crew members were transferred to the Coast Guard vessel, where medical treatment was initiated before returning to İnebolu.
The perpetrator of the attack was not immediately identified.
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