ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday Gulf countries told during a meeting in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh that they may have to take action if the current situation persists, stressing the increased risk level.
Fidan made statements to journalists and answered some questions regarding his regional tour encompassing Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Fidan said Gulf countries evaluate that the war will continue for another two or three weeks in duration, emphasizing the importance of the US in this matter.
He added that the Gulf countries said they had declared from the outset that they would not allow their airspace or the bases on their territory to be used against Iran and that they would not be part of this war.
He added that these countries also said Iran has deliberately carried out attacks not only on military bases but also on civilian infrastructure and economic targets.
"Israel will try to influence the US and will seek to prevent a ceasefire or the achievement of peace in the near term. There has been a growing assessment that the US' and Israel’s initial positions are drifting apart. This, in turn, could lead to a longer war," he told reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Fidan said that negotiations while the war is ongoing do not appear very likely.
He added, however, that one possibility to consider is that, following a short-term ceasefire, "the parties could begin negotiations during that period while also keeping open the option of resuming the war if the talks fail.
"Israel may adopt a policy of prolonging the war as much as possible in order to inflict greater damage on Iran."
Noting that Tel Aviv initiated the war, Fidan said the issue is not the absence of plans to end the war, but rather Israel’s lack of willingness to pursue peace.
Many things may change in Gulf
After the war, many changes may happen in Gulf countries, said Fidan, adding that the countries may begin seeking new options in the field of defense.
"After the war ends, Gulf countries may clearly set out their expectations of Iran, and if certain conditions are met, the focus could shift to economic cooperation. Iran, too, may come forward with certain demands regarding US bases in the Gulf," he said.
"We see that confidence in Türkiye has increased after this war. From the very beginning, we did not adopt an ambiguous stance. Everyone sees that we have clearly told all sides what was wrong. We have raised, in the strongest and clearest terms, that what was done to Iran and what was done to the Gulf countries were both wrong," he stated.
Stressing that they do not in any way want the situation to “turn into a prolonged war that would draw in the entire region,” Fidan said Ankara will continue to make use of all diplomatic channels, "particularly regional initiatives such as the meeting held in Riyadh yesterday, in order to bring the war to an end as soon as possible.”
Meeting in Riyadh aimed at seeking ‘common ground’
Regarding the meeting in Riyadh on March 19, under Saudi Arabia’s hosting, Fidan said the Gulf countries organized this meeting with a single agenda item.
"The meeting was held to gather the regional countries’ assessments regarding the attacks carried out by Iran against these countries. All regional countries directly or indirectly affected by the war were around the table. It was intended as an effort to seek common ground.”
Fidan said that everyone at the meeting underscored the urgency of the situation, adding that the meeting had a single-item agenda and that the joint statement reflected this as well.
“We are maintaining our principled stance. We oppose both Israel’s aggression and expansionism and Iran’s actions aimed at spreading the war across the region. Although the Riyadh meeting was organized solely around the Iran agenda, we emphasized Israel’s role in the emergence of this war. Moreover, we ensured that the joint statement referred to the threat posed by Israel’s expansionism in the region," he said.
They voiced these criticisms at the highest level on every platform and took steps accordingly, Fidan said, stressing that Türkiye has been the country criticizing Israel most strongly from the very beginning.
On the issue of mediation, Fidan said: “The proposals we are putting forward from where we stand are in fact part of a search for stability, something that is in everyone’s interest."
"But when the parties prioritize gain, victory, or domination over stability, the matter moves to a different point. In that case, talks are held merely for the sake of talking. They are conducted in order to advance the main agenda in a different way. We are receiving indications to that effect.”
Relations with EU remain significant
Highlighting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s stance on relations with the EU, Fidan said that “we also expect the emergence of political will in Europe to carry out the membership process with us," drawing attention to the fact that Türkiye’s objective has not changed.
Fidan said maintaining good relations with the EU remains very important in every respect in any case, adding that the modernization of the Customs Union and visa liberalization are important issues and that talks on these matters are continuing.
“We are maintaining a certain degree of stability in relations. They are not deteriorating, and they could improve further," he added.
Noting that the EU requires Türkiye in an array of areas, including combating illegal migration and terrorism, he said: “They are also constantly knocking on our door on issues such as the evacuation of their citizens from Iran, the Middle East, and elsewhere. We are providing the necessary support in these matters as well. Our military capabilities are already clear.”
“Work by the relevant institutions is continuing on the remaining six criteria concerning visa liberalization," he added.
