Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the world was more polarized because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and warned against the “risk of expansion of the conflict and use of nuclear weapons.” However, he added that the political atmosphere was now set for cease-fire talks.
Both the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's monthslong offensive on Gaza could escalate into regional or even global wars, Fidan stated.
"The divide deepens. Russia turned to another field of alliance while Europe is engaged in another," he warned.
"These conflicts could turn into regional and global wars. To prevent this, everyone needs to pitch in and help," Hakan Fidan said. He noted that the political and psychological climate evolved to resolve the differences with dialogue instead of weapons.
Stating that he and Lipavsky had discussed Gaza, Fidan said that Israel continues to carry out "literal ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and commits new war crimes every day. "We have not been silent, nor will we remain silent, about Israel's ongoing pursuit of expanding its territories and attempting to steal the lands of our Palestinian brothers," he added. Underlining that Türkiye supports any initiatives aiming for a cease-fire in Gaza, Fidan reiterated Ankara's support for a two-state solution.
Reiterating Türkiye's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Fidan said of the war, now well into its third year: "We cannot ignore the loss of life and horrific devastation caused by the war. Over 500,000 people have lost their lives in this conflict."
"This war also carries the risk of spreading beyond Ukraine's borders and even leading to the use of weapons of mass destruction," he added.
He voiced Ankara's desire to see the parties to the conflict "sitting down at the negotiating table for peace."
