Türkiye is expanding its diplomatic mediation efforts in Iran- U.S. talks amid rising regional tensions, as Ankara continues to position itself as a key facilitator in broader Middle East stability efforts.
Speaking to AnewZ, Dr. Şuay Açıkalın, Professor at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, said Türkiye has been acting as a mediator “even before the conflict was started,” aiming to prevent escalation in the region.
She added that after tensions increased, “Türkiye was clearly playing a role between Iran and the Gulf region to basically stop any escalation within the regional crisis,” while also working alongside Pakistan in wider mediation efforts involving Washington and Tehran.
Addressing stalled talks in Islamabad, the analyst said that “not only the nuclear programmes, but right now because of the Hormuz crisis, it turns to be a combined agenda,” shifting priorities for both sides.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts on Saturday (25 April), according to Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, as part of ongoing discussions on the latest developments in the Iran- U.S. negotiation process.
The talks with Abbas Araghchi and Ishaq Dar focused on exchanging views on the evolving situation and maintaining diplomatic coordination between the parties.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reinforced Ankara’s position in remarks made in February, stating that Türkiye is ready to mediate between Iran and the U.S.
“Türkiye is ready to assume a facilitating role between Iran and the United States in order to de-escalate tensions and help resolve issues through diplomatic means,” he said in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
The president underlined that Türkiye does not want the region to witness “a new war or a new wave of destruction.”
Pakistan’s parallel mediation role
Commenting on Pakistan’s role, Dr. Şuay Açıkalın noted that “Pakistan and Türkiye has lots of commonality when it comes to the mediation,” adding that both countries maintain communication channels with all relevant parties, making Pakistan “in the front line to make a perfect mediator.”
On NATO and Türkiye’s broader geopolitical role, the analyst said the alliance summit “seems to be one of the kind of milestone in the NATO history,” especially under the influence of multiple global crises, while highlighting Türkiye’s defence capabilities and strategic position.
Ukraine will be represented at the NATO summit to be held in Türkiye. According to reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed this at a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Kyiv on 26 April, without specifying the format of representation.
The NATO summit will take place in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7–8 July.
Türkiye’s long-term diplomatic outlook
Looking ahead, Dr. Şuay Açıkalın concluded that “Türkiye has the capability to mediate in different conflicts… from Africa to the Middle East,” and described it as “almost a mediator for both sides” under current diplomatic leadership.
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