07.03.2026 17:04
President Erdoğan spoke on the phone with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. During the conversation, Erdoğan warned Starmer that if interventions in Iran were to prolong, regional and global stability could be severely harmed, emphasizing that the issues should be resolved through dialogue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
ERDOĞAN MET WITH STARMER
According to a statement made on the social media account of the Presidency's Communication Directorate, the leaders discussed Turkey-Britain bilateral relations, the ongoing conflict process in the region, and regional and global issues.
"IF INTERVENTIONS EXTEND, GLOBAL STABILITY COULD BE GREATLY DAMAGED"
President Erdoğan stated that the will to develop Turkey-Britain cooperation, especially in the defense industry, is strong and that they will continue to take steps to advance this further.
Erdoğan expressed that Turkey is following the process that began with attacks on Iran, and that if interventions prolong, it could cause significant damage to regional and global stability, emphasizing that there are still things that can be done to build a dialogue platform and that their peace-oriented efforts continue.
On the other hand, a B-1 Lancer strategic bomber belonging to the United States landed at the Fairford airbase of the Royal Air Force (RAF) located in Gloucestershire, England. It was reported that the long-range bomber, approximately 44 meters long, arrived at the base on Friday evening.
GROUND-BREAKING STEP
The deployment of the B-1 Lancer, one of the most important long-range strategic bombers of the United States, drew attention during a period of heightened tension with Iran.
STARMER'S DECISION SPARKED CONTROVERSY
The arrival of the aircraft came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed the use of military bases in the UK for US defensive operations targeting missile sites in Iran.
This development also brought political debates in the UK. US President Donald Trump and some British politicians criticized the Starmer government for delaying permission for the use of bases to the US. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also pointed out this delay in her criticisms of the government.
STATEMENT FOLLOWING REACTIONS
Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to the criticisms by defending the decision-making process. Starmer stated that a possible military intervention could be legally controversial and that there was no sufficiently prepared, actionable plan. Therefore, he noted that the process of granting permission for base usage was being evaluated carefully.