Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of being the main instigator of a war that has plunged the Middle East into an “unprecedented crisis“, while reiterating Turkey‘s support for Qatar during a joint press conference in Doha with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in which the Turkish foreign minister condemned the attacks on civilians and infrastructure and also warned that Israel is taking advantage of the current chaos to violate the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza.
Fidan, quoted by the Turkish news agency Anatolia, said that Qatar was attacked by Tehran while trying to act as a mediator between the US, Israel and Iran, and regretted that these attacks are still going on: “They were targeted in a way they did not deserve… First of all, I would like to convey the condolences of the Turkish people and our president (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) to our Qatari brothers. We condemn and reject attacks that disregard the lives of civilians and target civilian infrastructure. Such attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances. Türkiye stands and will always stand by its brotherly country, Qatar“.
The minister stressed that “it must be clearly stated that the main instigator of this war, which has plunged our region into an unprecedented crisis, is, as you know, Israel“, and stressed that these actions, which he said were initiated with a series of Israeli provocations and continued while diplomatic negotiations were taking place, have turned the region into a major battlefield and weakened global stability.
Neither attacks against Iran, nor Iranian attacks, are justified
In this context, Fidan stressed the need to remind Iran of its “historical responsibility“: “Regardless of the justification, Iran’s attacks on countries in the region undermine the foundations of regional stability and are unacceptable,” he said, adding that such attacks do not benefit any country and that, while attacks on Iran are not justified, neither are Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries.
“We consistently and clearly express to our Iranian counterparts, in all our contacts at all levels, that these attacks and escalation, which will lead to lasting and irreparable tensions between countries in the region, must be stopped immediately. Similarly, we insist on the need to refrain from actions that threaten navigation and maritime security (in the Strait of Hormuz),” he added.
The Turkish foreign minister wanted to make it clear that, in the face of the current crisis in the Middle East, Turkey “rejects all actions directed against neighbouring countries, but we must not allow Israel, which feeds on regional instability, to cover up its own crimes and occupation policies with this conflict”.
Israel exploits chaos in the region against Palestinians
In this regard, the minister warned that the war should not divert international attention from Palestine and the tragedy in Gaza. “Israel continues to blatantly violate the ceasefire, taking advantage of the chaos it has generated. The situation on the ground remains critical,” he said, adding that nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed since the truce came into effect last October.
“Every day brings new negative news from the West Bank. We also strongly condemn Israeli actions aimed at restricting access to holy sites, especially the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem, and disrupting the historical status quo,” Fidan insisted.
The Turkish foreign minister warned that Israel has begun to apply the same policies of occupation and destruction in Lebanon that it has used in Gaza, and urged the international community to assume its responsibility to curb Israeli expansionism. “The only key to real and sustainable security in the region is the establishment of a just and dignified peace with the Palestinian people,” he concluded.
Fidan, finally, reiterated that Turkey continues to work to stop the escalation of war in the Middle East: “We, starting with our President (Erdoğan), are sincerely looking for ways to stop the war in the region before the situation becomes even more serious. Our President made efforts in this direction… But unfortunately, the war could not be prevented“.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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