Ankara warns of ‘wider conflict’ amid Iran-Israel tension

ANKARA

Türkiye has reiterated its concerns that tension between Iran and Israel can turn into a permanent and wider conflict and recalled all the relevant parties to refrain from escalatory steps.

“In light of the latest developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that the tensions that were initially caused by Israel's illegal attack on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus risk turning into a permanent conflict,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on April 19.

It follows an Israeli attack against Iranian targets on early April 19, obviously in retaliation to the latter’s comprehensive drone and missile attack on April 13. As suggested by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, tension between the two rival countries flared up after Israel hit Iran’s embassy in Damascus and killed senior Iranian officials on April 1.

“We are closely monitoring the events. We call on all parties to refrain from steps that could lead to a wider conflict,” the ministry stated.

Türkiye, since the start of the crisis in the Middle East in October 2023, has been urging all the parties, particularly Israel and its Western supporters, that the conflict between Israel and Hamas can spread to the rest of the region if a ceasefire would not be reached immediately.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement also touched on the fact that priority should be given to resolving the Israeli-Hamas row that already killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

“The priority of the international community should be to stop the massacre in Gaza and to ensure lasting peace in our region by establishing a Palestinian state,” it said.

Türkiye has been exerting efforts to bring the focus of the international community on the need for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.