Turkish President Erdoğan says the Iran war 'must be stopped'

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told parliamentarians that ordinary Iranians are paying a heavy price for the conflict that began on Saturday 28 February, renewing his call for urgent de-escalation and offering Türkiye as a potential mediator.

Warning after missiles land in Türkiye

After two missiles landed on Turkish soil earlier this week, Erdoğan issued a stark warning to the countries involved in the fighting.

“Regardless of who they may be, we do not seek the sovereignty of any country,” he said. “However, if anyone sets their sights on our lands or seeks adventure, we will not hesitate to say: ‘Bring it on!’”

Civilians paying the price

Erdoğan said that “regrettably, we see an entire people - who bear no responsibility for these events - forced to pay a heavy price, with no distinction made between women, children, the elderly and civilians.”

He continued: “Despite the opportunity to resolve these issues at the negotiating table, our region is once again shrouded in the scent of blood and gunpowder due to miscalculations, poor assessments, and the provocations of a bloodthirsty network.”

• No justification for targeting Türkiye, Erdoğan tells Iran leader in phone call
• Turkish, Iranian FMs speak by phone as Tehran denies firing missile at Türkiye

Renewed call for de-escalation

He has repeatedly asked for de-escalation and said Türkiye can play a mediating role. Reiterating this to Parliament, he said “we do not seek adventure, nor do we stoke tensions. We support peace and stability in every corner of our region.”

Tags

Türkiye Türkiye Politics Middle East conflict