Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country welcomes the newly declared ceasefire between Iran and Israel, adding that he expects both sides to “fully comply with my friend (US President Donald) Trump’s call unconditionally”.
In remarks following a NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Erdogan confirmed that Türkiye had been involved in intense diplomatic efforts from the onset of the recent military hostilities between Israel and Iran, which he said “posed serious risks to the region”.
He reiterated Ankara’s belief that “lasting solutions with Iran are only possible through diplomacy and dialogue”, emphasising that “our region is full of examples showing that war and destruction lead to nowhere”.
Erdogan said Türkiye “hopes the ceasefire will be transformed into lasting calm”, stressing that “everyone needs to shoulder responsibility to achieve peace in the Middle East”.
Gaza on brink of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’
The Turkish president strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing military assault in Gaza, warning that the humanitarian crisis was spiralling into a catastrophe.
“Palestinians have been targeted for last three years,” Erdogan said. He said Israeli attacks have killed over 56,000 Palestinians so far, “most of them women and children”, adding that “80% of Gaza has been destroyed”.
Erdogan said the Israeli government was deliberately blocking aid into the besieged territory.
Calling on the international community, the Turkish president said: “Anyone with an iota of conscience cannot remain silent to this. I'd like to call out to everyone who attaches importance to human life to raise their voices against this oppression.”
He further warned that Israel's actions were destabilising not just Gaza, but the wider Middle East. "Israel is destabilising the region, and by doing that they're also undermining the security of their own people," Erdogan said.
“Like all countries in the region, Israel’s security depends on the stability, peace and prosperity of its neighbours. Israel’s attacks have turned Gaza’s humanitarian tragedy into a catastrophe that no person with a conscience can ignore.”
Efforts to lift all barriers in defence trade
On European defence industry integration, the Turkish president said he had stressed that the participation of non-EU NATO partners would “serve the interests of all Europe”.
Ankara is also holding ongoing talks with London and Berlin on the Eurofighter jet programme, he added, noting “positive developments”.
He also welcomed recent progress on another key issue with the US: “We discussed the F-35 (fighter jet) issue. We made payments of $1.3 to 1.4 billion for F-35s, and we saw that Mr Trump was well-intentioned about delivering them.”
On NATO’s collective posture, Erdogan announced that Türkiye led efforts to ensure that “NATO documents call for lifting all barriers to defence trade among allies, without exception”.
“We also made sure the declaration reflected our view that counterterrorism can only succeed through genuine solidarity among allies,” he said.
He also reaffirmed Türkiye’s continued diplomatic push for a just and sustainable peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, saying: “I believe a window of opportunity has opened for a ceasefire and lasting peace.”
