As top officials of the Gulf countries came together to assess the impact of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined them last week. The top diplomat of Iran’s neighbor and NATO ally of the United States reminded how Türkiye’s stand was clear on the unfolding conflict.

"We see the confidence in Türkiye is rising (after the war began). We never adopted an ambivalent stance on the matter. Everyone is aware that we told each side what mistakes they made. We strongly and clearly voice our opinion about how it was wrong what was done to Iran and as well as to the Gulf countries,” he told journalists on Saturday.

Fidan also said that the Gulf countries said during a meeting in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh that they may have to take action if the current situation persists, stressing the increased risk level. The minister embarked on a regional tour encompassing Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this week.

He said Gulf countries estimate that the war will continue for another two or three weeks, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. in this matter. He added that the Gulf countries said they had declared from the outset that they would not allow their airspace or the bases on their territory to be used against Iran and that they would not be part of this war. He added that these countries also said Iran has deliberately carried out attacks not only on military bases but also on civilian infrastructure and economic targets.

"Israel will try to influence the U.S. and will seek to prevent a cease-fire or the achievement of peace in the near term. There has been a growing assessment that the U.S. and Israel's initial positions are drifting apart. This, in turn, could lead to a longer war," he told reporters in the Turkish capital of Ankara. Fidan said that negotiations while the war is ongoing do not appear very likely. He added, however, that one possibility to consider is that, following a short-term cease-fire, "the parties could begin negotiations during that period while also keeping open the option of resuming the war if the talks fail.

"Israel may adopt a policy of prolonging the war as much as possible in order to inflict greater damage on Iran."

Noting that Tel Aviv initiated the war, Fidan said the issue is not the absence of plans to end the war, but rather Israel's lack of willingness to pursue peace.

Changes in the Gulf

After the war, many changes may happen in Gulf countries, said Fidan, adding that the countries may begin seeking new options in the field of defense.

"After the war ends, Gulf countries may clearly set out their expectations of Iran, and if certain conditions are met, the focus could shift to economic cooperation. Iran, too, may come forward with certain demands regarding U.S. bases in the Gulf," he said.

Stressing that they do not in any way want the situation to "turn into a prolonged war that would draw in the entire region," Fidan said Ankara will continue to make use of all diplomatic channels, "particularly regional initiatives such as the meeting held in Riyadh yesterday, in order to bring the war to an end as soon as possible."

‘Common ground’

Regarding the meeting in Riyadh on March 19, under Saudi Arabia's hosting, Fidan said the Gulf countries organized this meeting with a single agenda item.

"The meeting was held to gather the regional countries' assessments 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 was intended as an effort to seek common ground."

Fidan said that everyone at the meeting underscored the urgency of the situation, adding that the meeting had a single-item agenda and that the joint statement reflected this as well.

"We are maintaining our principled stance. We oppose both Israel's aggression and expansionism and Iran's actions aimed at spreading the war across the region. Although the Riyadh meeting was organized solely around the Iran agenda, we emphasized Israel's role in the emergence of this war. Moreover, we ensured that the joint statement referred to the threat posed by Israel's expansionism in the region," he said.

They voiced these criticisms at the highest level on every platform and took steps accordingly, Fidan said, stressing that Türkiye has been the country criticizing Israel most strongly from the very beginning.

On the issue of mediation, Fidan said: "The proposals we are putting forward from where we stand are in fact part of a search for stability, something that is in everyone's interest."

"But when the parties prioritize gain, victory, or domination over stability, the matter moves to a different point. In that case, talks are held merely for the sake of talking. They are conducted in order to advance the main agenda in a different way. We are receiving indications to that effect."

Relations with EU

Highlighting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's stance on relations with the EU, Fidan said that "we also expect the emergence of political will in Europe to carry out the membership process with us," drawing attention to the fact that Türkiye's objective has not changed.

Fidan said maintaining good relations with the EU remains very important in every respect in any case, adding that the modernization of the customs union and visa liberalization are important issues and that talks on these matters are continuing.

"We are maintaining a certain degree of stability in relations. They are not deteriorating, and they could improve further," he added.

Noting that the EU requires Türkiye in an array of areas, including combating illegal migration and terrorism, he said: "They are also constantly knocking on our door on issues such as the evacuation of their citizens from Iran, the Middle East, and elsewhere. We are providing the necessary support in these matters as well. Our military capabilities are already clear."

"Work by the relevant institutions is continuing on the remaining six criteria concerning visa liberalization," he added.