Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced in New York that Türkiye was increasing its diplomatic initiatives to prevent conflicts in the region from expanding. Speaking at a news conference after the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Fidan said Israel’s isolation in the international arena was steadily increasing.
Fidan argued that the injustices committed and massacres carried out by Israel were no longer going unanswered as they had in the past. He said determined diplomacy played an important role in turning international reactions into concrete protests, positions and viable policies.
Fidan said Türkiye was pursuing an intensive effort with its partners and allies by using all available diplomatic means, adding that the results of these efforts were clearly visible. He said Türkiye aimed to end the tragedy in Gaza immediately, increase humanitarian aid and create an environment in which Palestinians would not have to worry about their future.
Diplomacy for Gaza and regional tensions
Fidan said Israel was facing an unprecedented situation in the areas of sanctions and law. He said the process had dimensions involving the International Court of Justice and international criminal courts, describing the developments as the result of a policy pursued under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that placed the humanitarian conscience at the center of global values.
Fidan said President Erdoğan’s meetings with US President Donald Trump and the leaders of regional countries during the UN General Assembly addressed the latest developments concerning Gaza and the tensions with Iran. He said two main issues had come to the fore in the meetings.
Fidan said the first issue involved the difficulties and obstacles facing the Gaza peace plan launched last year, as well as Israel’s failure to comply with the rules. He said the second concerned the continuing tensions in the Gulf region and steps that could be taken to reduce them.
Fidan said Erdoğan had raised his vision for regional peace, the threats arising from Israel’s expansion and the issue of Gaza. He added that Türkiye’s proposals for overcoming the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz had also been discussed.
Institutional steps for the Mecca Defense Alliance
Fidan said Türkiye was continuing its discussions on the “Mecca Alliance” and that certain military threats targeting Saudi Arabia had been addressed. He said Türkiye was intensifying its efforts to create an environment in the region free from conflict and governed by peace.
Providing information about the meeting of foreign ministers of the “Mecca Defense Alliance” held in New York and the alliance’s institutional steps, Fidan said significant progress had been made. He said the alliance aimed to determine its secretariat and appoint a secretary-general within two weeks, adding that member states were expected to accept the candidate proposed by Pakistan.
Fidan said the meetings addressed developments in the region, particularly military threats targeting Saudi Arabia from the north and south. He said he had consulted with Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu after Bayraktaroğlu attended a military technical assessment meeting in Riyadh. Fidan added that the results of the meeting had been presented to President Erdoğan.
Fidan said the Turkish Armed Forces had a high level of professionalism, as well as the capability and experience to respond to any threat. Despite this, he said Türkiye would continue working toward a more peaceful environment free from conflict.
Iran-US tensions and the Strait of Hormuz
Addressing efforts to find a solution between Iran and the United States, Fidan described the continuation of the talks as positive and the lack of an outcome so far as a negative development. He said the efforts should continue through diplomatic channels and that a new war or conflict environment must not be allowed to emerge.
Fidan said Türkiye had discussed with its American and Iranian counterparts ways to prevent the war from spreading across the region. He said that during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he had heard Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the US side’s initial assessment.
Fidan said the diplomatic process must continue to prevent the war from starting again, adding that this was also consistent with the position of Türkiye’s allies in the Gulf.
Iraq’s objective concerning armed groups and Bashika
Assessing the situation in Iraq, Fidan said the Iraqi side had set the disarmament of all armed groups in the country as a political objective and that Türkiye supported this approach. He said President Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi had met at the Turkish House in New York.
Fidan said he welcomed the Iraqi government’s adoption of this objective. He added that elements in Sinjar under the control of administrations linked to the PKK also fell within the scope of that objective.
Fidan recalled that Türkiye’s military presence at the Bashika base in northern Iraq began following an invitation from the Iraqis for counterterrorism cooperation. He said that once Iraq’s roadmap for ending terrorism and armed groups was implemented, Türkiye would make plans to gradually reduce and ultimately end its presence in the region. Fidan added that President Erdoğan had reaffirmed this approach during his meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.
