Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued an alarming warning that “the threat of World War III needs to be taken seriously” in the face of rising tensions in conflicts such as Ukraine and the Middle East and the risk of using nuclear weapons, while reiterating that Turkey’s top priority remains ensuring peace regionally and globally.
“I think the world needs to take this scenario, this threat, seriously,” Fidan said during an interview with Turkish broadcaster HaberTürk last night, when asked by journalists whether there is a risk of the current conflicts escalating into a major war, given the prolongation of the war between Ukraine and Russia and the risk of the war in Gaza spilling over into Lebanon.
Fidan explained that Turkey has been maintaining intensive contacts with all actors involved in the Russia-Ukraine war, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Fidan himself met during his recent visit to Moscow to convey several messages from Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, who might meet Putin in person soon in Kazakhstan.
The Turkish foreign minister recalled that Russia and Turkey maintain close cooperation on Syria in addition to areas such as trade or energy, and noted that he conveyed to the Russian president Ankara’s position on the war in Ukraine, about which Fidan said there is a risk of it escalating into a conflict involving the use of atomic weapons. “We told our Russian counterparts that peace is fundamental with respect to the Ukrainian issue, and that Russia must determine its position,” he said, recalling that only two days after discussing the issue with him, Putin publicly announced a series of conditions for ending the war in Ukraine.
Turkey and its delicate geographical position
“It was important that President Putin made this public,” Fidan said, adding that there is always room for negotiation, although it must be “assisted”, while acknowledging that the upcoming elections in the US and several European countries are delaying possible peace talks.
Fidan also warned that the risk of the use of nuclear weapons and of an escalation leading to World War III will always be present as long as the war continues, since it could fuel other conflicts. In this regard, the minister emphasised Turkey’s delicate position due to its geographical location, as it is exposed both to the threats of war between Ukraine and Russia across the Black Sea, and to the conflict with Israel across the Eastern Mediterranean. “Turkish diplomacy always prioritises the end of wars, and our president (Erdoğan) also has this desire,” he said.
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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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