ISTANBUL

Türkiye is opposed to "any military intervention" against Iran, said the Turkish foreign minister on Thursday, urging Tehran to resolve its "own internal problems by itself."

“When examined closely, there is no situation that would whet the appetite of some countries hostile to Iran abroad, in terms of hostility toward the regime. However, the economic difficulties created by existing policies, and the inability to alleviate them, do give rise to serious problems. We do not want to see any intervention here,” Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul.

He added, referring to recent statements by the US president: “When you look at the policies of (Donald) Trump, we have not seen a strong preference so far for the use of ground forces.”

Speaking on the recent protests, he said that when a country faces sanctions, certain economic services become restricted, adding: “Iran has a large population and a dynamic society. It has sophisticated people with a very strong desire for life and for participation in social life. When you deprive such a society of certain opportunities, these kinds of problems emerge.”

He added: "What gets confused here is that the hardships people face due to economic and other difficulties can appear as an ideological uprising against the regime; in reality, this constitutes a grey area.”

Stressing the importance of Iran for Türkiye, Fidan said that everything related to Iran "concerns us," adding that Tehran solving problems with "certain actors" benefits Ankara.

Stating that he had urged his Iranian counterparts to resolve their problems with other countries, Fidan said: "It should resolve its issues on the global nuclear matter through diplomacy without missing any opportunity, so that certain structural problems causing economic difficulties can be eliminated."

Türkiye will continue to follow developments and its diplomatic efforts for Iran, he said.

SDF still threatens both regions, Türkiye

The terrorist YPG/SDF continues to pose a "threat both to the region and to us," Fidan said, adding that Türkiye has no problems with Kurdish people in Syria, but it has problem with a terror group that operates in four countries under different names.

"We want the March 10 agreement to be implemented, even if it creates difficulties," he said, referring to a pact that Türkiye and the Syrian government say the SDF has failed to abide by.

Fidan said Ankara is surprised to see some countries speak of "newly discovered" connections between the SDF and the terrorist group PKK, adding that their connection “has long been common knowledge."

Citing the recent violence in the city of Aleppo, he said: "On Aleppo, we warned that the process should not escalate to the use of weapons. This is a recurring pattern. Starting from Tel Rifaat and Ayn al-Arab, we made it clear that their presence there is illegal. If they wish to demonstrate goodwill, they must enter a process based on diplomacy and dialogue. They neither have the power nor the mindset to engage multiple actors and manage such a complex environment.”

"The representation of all minorities in the Syrian constitution is essential. The critical balance lies here: participating in the process as a separate political entity is the real problem. Living under a single flag while preserving one’s identity and benefiting equally from national resources is a more appropriate structure. Otherwise, dividing the country into political entities and creating enclaves would pave the way for fragmentation, which requires utmost caution," he added.

If Ukraine deal is reached, Turkish naval forces will be in command in Black Sea

Fidan also said that if a Ukraine peace deal is reached, Turkish naval forces will be in command in the Black Sea.

"If a peace agreement is reached, it will have three dimensions: how the peace will be monitored, how Ukraine’s deterrence capacity will be sustained, and what measures will be taken in case of violations. Militarily, peace has three domains: land, air, and sea. The Black Sea is a region that directly concerns Türkiye," he added.

"The Russia–Ukraine war and developments in transatlantic relations have made EU security increasingly questionable. Türkiye, led primarily by our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) has exerted significant effort in this process. These efforts will continue into 2026," he said.