War between Tel Aviv, Tehran ‘needs to be considered a high possibility,’: Turkish foreign minister

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that Türkiye and the region must be prepared for a potential war between Israel and Iran because there is a “high possibility” of an outbreak.

“The war between Israel, Iran needs to be considered a high possibility,” Fidan said on a television program.

“I believe that assessing this as a high possibility by regional states would be the most prudent step, as we need to be prepared for such a scenario, both as a country and as a region. This spread is certainly not the kind of expansion we desire. The widespread nature of war in the region and the triggering of instability areas are not what we wish for,” he added.

Türkiye does not support “any conflict with Iran that could escalate into war," said Fidan, adding that Ankara is completely against it, while noting Tehran has the right to defend itself if Iran exercises that right.

"Therefore, we are in no way supporters of any conflict with Iran that could escalate into war. We are completely against this; However, on the other hand, if Iran exercises its right to legitimate self-defense, that is, of course, its own right," he said.

Touching on Türkiye’s foreign and security policies, Fidan said Türkiye does not “have our eyes an inch of anyone’s land and aims to conduct relations more “through regional development, stability, and prosperity."

Fidan pointed out the rivalry between China and the US is set to escalate, referring to the economic competition between the two nations.

-Ankara waits for confirmation on death of Hamas polit bureau chief

On claims regarding the death of Hamas Political Bureau chief Yahya Sinwar, Fidan said that Ankara is waiting for a confirmation from Hamas, adding, that no denial has been received.

“Gaza has unfortunately turned into an open-air cemetery where thousands of innocent people have been killed and subjected to genocide,” he said.

Noting that Ankara assessed Israel to be "in a military action plan to eliminate one by one the threats it faces, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and other elements,” he expressed Türkiye’s wish to prevent the opening of a new front in the war.

Stressing that regional countries do not show the same sensitivity regarding Lebanon as they do for Palestine, Fidan said: "There is a stance there. This stance is, of course, a meaningful and profound one. We need to look at the reasons behind it."

-Türkiye urges US to end cooperation with terror group

Fidan said Ankara consistently has sent the message to Washington to urge them to end cooperation with the PKK terror group, emphasizing that such collaboration is not beneficial to anyone.

He said Türkiye's sensitivities on the matter are now being taken into account.

Fidan expressed hope that the US, the UK and other countries would abandon relationships with the PKK in Syria and Iraq.

Emphasizing Türkiye’s seriousness on this issue, he said, “Türkiye does not say, 'I won't touch this because the US is involved.' It will go and protect its interests and security there, just as we have done in Syria."

-Normalization process between Ankara, Athens​​​​​​​

Noting that there is an ongoing normalization process initiated at the leadership level with Greece, he said Türkiye is focusing on how to resolve issues through exploratory talks, as long as there is a suitable political actor on the other side.

He said both countries are showing maximum sensitivity in reducing tensions, acknowledging that some incidents and provocations have occurred.

He, however, underscored that Greece is currently acting with the attitude of not escalating tensions and maintaining positive discussions.

Pointing out that there are various issues between the two countries, he said that there is a perspective on how to resolve the issues in a way that is acceptable and beneficial to both.

He highlighted that the perspective is incredibly valuable, noting that a similar approach exists on the Greek side and expressed hope for producing tangible results.

-‘You cannot strengthen NATO by weakening Türkiye’

Fidan warned that Ankara keeps track of all covert or overt restrictions and sanctions against Türkiye, particularly in the defense industry.

"Especially during the process of Sweden and Finland's inclusion in NATO, our president presented a framework vision. We have consistently communicated this to our allies, and we documented it, leading to subsequent declarations: Türkiye supports the strengthening of NATO because we are a member and a partner here, but you cannot strengthen NATO by weakening Türkiye -- we need to be sincere about this," he emphasized, stressing the need for significant progress on issues related to counter-terrorism and the defense industry.

On Türkiye’s request for procurement of Eurofighter jets, noting that Germany has shown signs of taking a positive step, he added that the Germans have an approach suggesting that technical discussions could begin, calling it “an important step.”

"We are acting responsibly, in line with our national security and national interests,” he added.

-Türkiye interested in joining BRICS

On Türkiye’s joining BRICS, Fidan stated that the country is interested in the bloc, noting that Ankara is closely monitoring the organization’s actions related to new members.

Stating that BRICS is one of three main groups under the G20, alongside G7 and MIKTA, he said: "Interest in BRICS has significantly increased in a context where economic partnerships and explorations are on the rise. Particularly, countries that fall outside the Western-centric welfare network have begun to show more interest in BRICS."

-3rd meeting of 3+3 South Caucasus format

Fidan said the third meeting of the South Caucasus Regional Cooperation Platform in the 3+3 format will be held Friday in Istanbul, bringing together the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He noted that meetings will focus not only on the Azerbaijan-Armenia issue but on the entire Caucasus region, highlighting Ankara’s emphasis on the concept of "regional ownership" in recent years.

Fidan indicated that Ankara evaluates the platform and regional initiatives within the framework of "regional ownership," explaining that rather than waiting for a hegemonic power, regional countries should come together to solve their own problems.

He added that they believe a historical and formal peace with Armenia will genuinely pave the way for irreversible stability, prosperity and development in the region.