21.03.2026 18:40
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated regarding the Israel-US and Iran war, "Israel will try to exert influence over the US and will seek to prevent a ceasefire or a quick peace. Assessments that the initial positions of the US and Israel are diverging have increased. This could result in a prolongation of the war. The option of negotiating while the war is ongoing does not seem very likely."
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated regarding the Israel-US and Iran war, "Israel will try to exert influence over the US and will seek to prevent a ceasefire or a quick peace."
Minister Fidan made a written statement to the press after his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
"THE NEGOTIATION OPTION IS NOT VERY LIKELY"
Fidan noted that assessments have been made that the war in the Gulf countries will last for another 2-3 weeks, stating, "The decisive factor here will be the attitude of the US. Israel will try to exert influence over the US and will seek to prevent a ceasefire or a quick peace. Assessments that the initial positions of the US and Israel have diverged have increased. This could result in the war lasting longer. The option of negotiating while the war is ongoing does not seem very likely.
However, we should also consider the possibility of declaring a short-term ceasefire, starting negotiations during this period, and saying, 'If I do not get results from the negotiations, I will resume the war.' Israel may also pursue a policy of 'Let the war last as long as possible, let’s inflict more damage on Iran.' In the face of this approach, the stance of the US will become crucial. Israel gives the impression that it will not stop without eliminating military and industrial targets that are important to them. Assassinations continue. Israel started this war. The problem is not the lack of plans to end the war. The problem is Israel's unwillingness to seek peace. We emphasize this reality everywhere, on every occasion," he said.
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE ALL DIPLOMATIC PLATFORMS"
Pointing out that many things could change after the war in the Gulf, Minister Fidan said, "They may enter new searches in the defense industry. After the end of the war, Gulf countries may clearly express their expectations from Iran and focus on economic cooperation if certain conditions are met. Iran may also come up with some demands regarding US bases in the Gulf. Another important point is that the oil and LNG passing through the Strait of Hormuz goes to China, EU countries, South Korea, Japan, and India. What will be the expectations of these countries? We see that trust in Turkey has increased after this war. We have not adopted a contradictory stance from the beginning. Everyone sees that we have openly stated the mistakes made to all parties. We are bringing up the fact that what has been done to Iran and what has been done to the Gulf countries is wrong in the strongest and clearest way," he expressed.
"THERE IS A NEED FOR TURKEY'S VOICE AND OPINION"
Minister Fidan continued with the following:
"Gulf countries are under intense attack. They are questioning why Iran has targeted them in this war. They say, 'We have no connection to the outbreak of this war; that is another issue.' They state, 'The attack against us is an unjust attack, and we need to respond to this attack.' The Gulf countries declared at the outset that they would not allow their airspace and bases to be used against Iran. They say, 'We are not part of this war.' They also say that Iran is attacking not only military bases but also civilian infrastructure and economic targets, and that this is intentional. We have been warning from the beginning. The Gulf countries say that if the current situation continues, they will have to take countermeasures. In this meeting, they made their final warnings on this issue. The recent intense attacks have triggered this, and the risk has increased. We do not wish for this situation to lead to a prolonged war that will engulf the entire region. We will continue to use all diplomatic platforms, especially regional initiatives like the meeting held in Riyadh yesterday, to end the war as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it saddens us that all the analyses we have made from the beginning have turned out to be correct. On the one hand, we see how much Turkey's voice and opinion are needed to take healthier steps for the future."
"OUR DIAGNOSES AND PROPOSALS ARE VALUABLE"
Indicating that the meeting in Riyadh was organized by the Gulf countries with a single agenda, Minister Fidan stated, "A meeting was held to gather the evaluations of regional countries 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 aimed to seek a common understanding. Everyone expressed the urgency of the situation. It was a meeting with a single agenda item. The joint statement reflects this. We maintain our principled stance. We oppose both Israel's aggression and expansionism and Iran's actions aimed at spreading the war to the region. Although it was organized solely with the Iranian agenda, we emphasized Israel's role in the emergence of this war at the meeting in Riyadh.
Moreover, we ensured that the threat posed by Israel's expansionism in the region was addressed in the joint statement. We are already expressing these criticisms at the highest level on every platform and taking our steps. Turkey has been the country that has criticized Israel the most strongly from the very beginning. Now, the proposals we bring from our standpoint are actually a search for stability, which is in everyone's interest. However, when there are perspectives among the parties that prioritize a gain, a victory, or a dominance over stability, it goes to another point. This time, the conversation is held just for the sake of talking. It is done to advance the main agenda in a different way. We are receiving comments on that issue. We emphasize two points. The first is to genuinely and accurately diagnose the issue by focusing on it. The second is to maintain our line without changing it, continuing to be a strong country and using a constructive influence. Because our diagnoses are valuable now, and our proposals are also valuable," he evaluated.
"WE ARE MAINTAINING A CERTAIN STABILITY IN RELATIONS"
Fidan emphasized that the goal regarding Turkey's membership in the European Union (EU) has not changed, stating, "However, we are also waiting for a political will to emerge in Europe that will carry out the membership process with us. In any case, maintaining good relations with the EU is very important in every respect. Updating the Customs Union and visa liberalization issues are significant. We continue to discuss these matters. We are maintaining a certain stability in relations; it is not deteriorating, and it can improve. There are various areas where they need us, such as illegal migration and combating terrorism. They are constantly reaching out to us regarding issues like the evacuation of their citizens from Iran, the Middle East, etc. We are providing the necessary support on these matters. Our military capabilities are already evident. Work is ongoing on the remaining six items regarding visa liberalization," he said.