Türkiye has issued necessary warnings to Iran, but Tehran continues to take “wrong steps” despite those warnings, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday, while stressing Ankara’s priority is to keep the country out of the conflict.
Speaking at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said Türkiye has closely followed developments surrounding the Iran conflict and has communicated its concerns directly.
“Necessary warnings were issued to Iran. Despite these warnings, it continues to take the wrong steps,” Erdoğan said.
He reiterated that Ankara’s primary objective is to prevent Türkiye from being drawn into the war, while continuing to advocate diplomacy.
“As in other wars, Türkiye stands on the side of justice and supports resolving conflicts through dialogue,” Erdoğan said.
The president also emphasized Türkiye’s defense capabilities, saying the country has the capacity to respond to threats targeting its security and sovereignty.
“The Republic of Türkiye is strong and capable in every field. It has the capacity to repel any attack and break the dirty hands targeting its survival,” he said.
Erdoğan's remarks came after Türkiye shot down a ballistic missile fired from Iran, in the second such incident in five days.
Later on Monday, Erdoğan told a meeting with ambassadors that Israel is seeking to completely sabotage the path to a two-state solution by taking advantage of the global community's attention shifting away from Gaza.
The president said that while humanitarian aid deliveries face difficulties, Israel continues to "terrorize the people of Gaza with systematic attacks."
On continued U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, he stressed that Türkiye does not accept the Middle East being subjected again to intervention "just as it was a century ago, or being laid back on the operating table."
"Last week and today, ballistic elements heading toward Türkiye were neutralized in time, and the necessary warning was conveyed very clearly to the Iranian side," Erdoğan added.
He reiterated that the war must end as quickly as possible to prevent it from spreading further in the region, adding that further adventurism will cost not just the warring parties, but the region and even the entire world, including Europe and Asia.
An honorable solution can be found for every problem that threatens regional stability and the future, said Erdoğan, and a new negotiation process is possible.
