TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again called for diplomacy, urging US President Donald Trump in a telephone conversation to continue talks with Iran and make every effort to ease tensions. He also offered its support for efforts aimed at restoring peace.
The timing of Erdoğan’s intervention could hardly be more important. Talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled, while the United States ruled out truce extension. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that it could adopt a fully offensive military posture if diplomacy fails. The uncertainty has also affected shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s call for dialogue deserves appreciation. Turkiye occupies a unique position, sharing a border with Iran while maintaining close relations with Washington. It has also remained in contact with other regional actors and has consistently advocated diplomacy rather than further escalation. Turkiye’s importance in this situation also stems from its position as a key NATO member with one of the alliance’s largest militaries. Its ability to maintain communication with both Western powers and regional countries gives Ankara a significant diplomatic role at a time when tensions are dangerously high. Erdoğan’s engagement therefore carries weight beyond Turkiye’s immediate neighbourhood and reflects the responsibility that influential states must shoulder during a crisis of this magnitude. Other important capitals, particularly those with influence in Washington, Tehran and the wider region, must also step forward. The objective should be clear: keep channels of communication open, prevent a return to full-scale hostilities and create the space necessary for a durable political settlement. There is simply too much at stake. Resumption of fighting between Iran and the United States would be very dangerous and it will trigger wider regional instability, threaten vital trade and energy routes and deepen economic uncertainty. No country, including those far beyond the Middle East, would remain untouched by its consequences. At this critical juncture, countries with diplomatic influence must come forward and play their full part in ensuring that the parties do not return to hostilities but instead move towards lasting peace.
