Türkiye plays key role in preventing, ending conflicts: Foreign minister

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has been the guarantor of peace, stability, and justice, said the country's foreign minister on Wednesday, stressing the role Ankara has been playing for preventing and ending conflicts.

"Our diplomatic strength plays a decisive role in preventing and ending wars. Today, Türkiye has become the guarantor of peace, stability, and justice in our region. Thanks to diplomacy conducted under the leadership of the head of state, Israel’s illegitimate policies and the oppression of Zionism have been exposed, while the Palestinian cause has gained momentum and support in international forums," Hakan Fidan said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Turkish Foreign Ministry complex in the capital Ankara.

"Today, from Ukraine to Syria, from the Caucasus to the Horn of Africa, Türkiye has become an actor that can shape regional dynamics," Fidan said, adding that thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strong leadership, the country has been able to stay away from the "circle of flames."

Highlighting the transformation of diplomacy, Fidan said that with the emergence of modern diplomacy, the customs of the 17th and 18th centuries gave way to new procedures and more institutionalized methods.

He underlined that diplomacy has evolved from temporary contacts into complex and comprehensive relations woven with interdependence.

"We are also expanding our presence abroad. With 263 foreign missions, we now have the world’s third-largest diplomatic network," he added.

Fidan underlined that new geographies, new challenges, shifting balances, and new opportunities lie ahead, and therefore, stronger diplomacy is needed more than ever.

He emphasized that Turkish diplomacy is rooted in a deeply ingrained tradition and institutional memory spanning centuries.

"Today, there is a Türkiye that pursues an independent and national foreign policy, one that has a voice on regional and global issues," he said.

Fidan said that the agreements, minutes, and memoirs preserved in the ministry’s archives also serve as the memory of the Turkish nation.