Ankara completely opposed to any plan to provoke civil war in Iran: Turkish foreign minister

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Ankara remains “completely opposed to any plan that aims to provoke civil war in Iran and fuel conflicts along ethnic or religious fault lines.”

Fidan made the remarks during a joint press conference following his meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in the capital Ankara.

Fidan noted that in his meeting with Wadephul, they had the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the prosperity and security of the two countries.

He said the talks addressed relations, Türkiye’s EU membership process and regional and global developments, particularly the war in the Middle East.

Emphasizing that the ongoing war in the Middle East must end as soon as possible, Fidan said that Türkiye is making “intensive efforts” to bring the war to an end.

Fidan noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with many world leaders and was continuing to do so, adding that he himself is also engaged in intense diplomatic efforts.

He said that Türkiye is prepared for “any scenario” regarding the course of the war and its aftermath, adding Ankara is working “day and night to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens in the region.”

Tensions gripped the Middle East after Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28 and have so far killed more than 1,300 people, including Ali Khamenei, the country's former supreme leader, and more than 150 schoolgirls. More than 10,000 people were also injured in the Israeli and US attacks.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and several Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

“Just as this unprovoked war and attack against Iran is unjust and unlawful, Iran’s attacks on other countries, especially Gulf countries, without provocation, are equally wrong,” said Fidan, urging peace and a ceasefire as soon as possible.

“There must be no problem regarding Iran’s territorial integrity, and goals such as regime change should not be pursued. The region must return to normal as soon as possible,” he said.

Fidan said Israel has “taken advantage of the current war to extend its dirty war to Lebanon.”

“Israel’s attacks must end before the Lebanese state reaches the point of collapse. The collapse of Lebanon would deeply affect the entire region, especially neighboring countries,” he said.

On economic ties between Türkiye and Germany, Fidan noted that bilateral trade reached $52 billion last year, expressing hope that “we can increase this to $60 billion,” and that one of the sectors that could elevate economic cooperation is the defense industry.

“Developments both in Europe and the Middle East have once again demonstrated how important solidarity among allies is. We are also pleased with Germany’s positive stance regarding the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. We sincerely hope this policy will continue in other areas of cooperation in the defense industry as well,” he said.

He also noted that they also discussed Türkiye’s EU membership, and visa liberalization, as well as reiterating Türkiye’s expectations regarding the modernization of the Customs Union.

“Regional and global developments clearly show the strategic gains the EU would obtain from Türkiye’s membership,” said Fidan, adding that European security was also discussed.

“We believe NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. In this framework, our expectation is that EU initiatives in defense and security will complement NATO’s efforts and be carried out with an understanding that includes all allies. Excluding our country, a strong NATO ally, from these initiatives risks weakening European security,” he said.