Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday vowed that Ankara will “resist all kinds of provocations” amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
He stressed that Türkiye already had a clear determination not to be dragged into the ongoing conflict.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman, Fidan said President Recep Erdogan’s determination on the issue was clear.
He emphasised that Türkiye did not want to take part in an “ongoing unjust war.”
“Türkiye will resist all kinds of provocations. Our president’s determination on this issue is clear.
“Türkiye does not want to take part in this ongoing unjust war, and we are absolutely against being dragged into it.
“We also have a firm determination not to fall for provocations,” Fidan said.
He stressed that, while Türkiye possesses strong deterrence and military capabilities, diplomacy must urgently be activated to prevent further escalation in the region.
“Türkiye’s deterrence and military capabilities are extremely high.
“When we think strategically and wisely, we always have ideas about when and where this power should be used.
“But at this stage, diplomacy must urgently be activated,” he said.
Referring to the escalating regional tensions following Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions, Fidan said Türkiye was closely monitoring developments.
The minister reiterated that Ankara was seeking to avoid further escalation.
Since Israel and the U.S. launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing some 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, hostilities have escalated.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
Criticising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Fidan said Türkiye had long warned that Israel’s expansionist policies and fundamentalist ideology were fueling instability and chaos across the region.
“For a long time, we have been drawing attention to the chaos caused in our region by the expansionist policies and fundamentalist ideology of the Netanyahu government,” he said.
He added that Türkiye would not remain silent in the face of attempts by Israel to impose its geopolitical calculations on the region through external interventions.
The Turkish foreign minister said Israel continued to violate the Gaza ceasefire, and that the humanitarian situation on the ground was worsening by each passing day.
He stressed that the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid and meeting Palestinians’ basic needs (particularly shelter) remained urgent priorities.
Fidan also warned that Israel was attempting to create new ‘faits accomplis’ in the occupied West Bank in an effort to undermine the two-state solution.
He noted that “Israeli settlers” were killing Palestinians there on a daily basis.
The minister said that Ankara was also concerned that Netanyahu may move toward a “new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Fidan said.
“We are frankly concerned that Netanyahu may move toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon,” he said.
Fidan warned that Israel was attempting to drag Lebanon once again into a humanitarian disaster and lasting political instability.
Pointing out Tel Aviv’s action on the third holiest mosque in Islam, Fidan warned that Israel’s closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque for worship would be a “very dangerous step that could trigger a new wave of outrage in our region.”
“This dangerous provocation must be abandoned immediately, and the necessary respect must be shown to holy sites, which are the common responsibility of humanity,” he said.
Calling on the international community to act, Fidan said global actors must take urgent steps in response to Israel’s ongoing “crimes.”(NAN/AA)(nannews.ng)
Edited by Mark Longyen
