Turkish Foreign minister warns of escalating nuclear arms race with Israel's continued possession

By Faruk Zorlu

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed concerns Saturday that Israel's continued possession of nuclear weapons could heighten the nuclear arms race, leading to an unfavorable situation.

"The ongoing possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, coupled with the failure to denuclearize the region, will escalate the nuclear arms race, leading to increased nuclearization in the area. This is not a favorable situation for both the region and the world," Fidan said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

"Israel's possession of nuclear weapons has been a known yet unacknowledged secret for many years -- a fact that everyone is aware of but no one has admitted. We see that Israel has developed its nuclear capability by not becoming a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and we also know that it has received significant support from both the US and Europe in this regard. So, this is not a secret," he said.

The minister emphasized the need for complete denuclearization of the region or other countries to take steps to enhance their security, stressing the urgency to find a solution to the critical strategic issue.

Emphasizing the significant progress made during the Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in Riyadh last week, he highlighted it was a turning point in fostering cooperation and solidarity among Muslim countries.

Regarding the concrete effect of decisions made, he emphasized the urgency to halt the bloodshed in Gaza and ensure prompt aid delivery. He said Muslim countries right now are opting to solve the Gaza issue by using all diplomatic and humanitarian tools.