President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye will continue its diplomatic efforts with "patience and determination” despite attempts to undermine hopes in ongoing diplomacy involving the United States, Israel and Iran, where he welcomed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
Erdoğan said Türkiye remains committed to diplomatic engagement as regional tensions intensify.
He stressed that Ankara is actively working to prevent escalating conflicts in the region from turning into a broader catastrophe, saying Türkiye is striving to ease crises wherever they arise.
Erdoğan said Türkiye will continue pursuing diplomatic initiatives despite efforts to weaken the prospects for dialogue in the ongoing diplomatic process involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The Turkish president also reiterated his belief that justice is essential for development, peace and stability, adding that Türkiye will continue supporting efforts to make the United Nations a more inclusive institution.
During his remarks, Erdoğan praised Guterres’ leadership and longstanding commitment to dialogue and peace, recalling his previous roles as Portugal’s prime minister and as the United Nations high commissioner for refugees.
Erdoğan noted that Türkiye has strengthened its cooperation with the United Nations during Guterres’ tenure as secretary-general, highlighting joint diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing global crises.
He pointed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative as an example of successful cooperation that helped prevent a global food crisis and said Türkiye continues to work closely with the United Nations on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Erdoğan also commended Guterres’ stance on Gaza, describing it as a principled position during what he called one of the most severe injustices of the current era.
The president emphasized that diplomacy and dialogue remain the safest path toward achieving a just and lasting peace.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Akif Çağatay Kılıç, the president’s chief adviser on foreign policy and security, also attended the meeting.