Türkiye will continue advocating peace, stability and balance in an increasingly volatile region while closely monitoring developments, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Wednesday, warning that the coming period could bring greater instability and crises.
Speaking at an iftar gathering with representatives of civil society organizations at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye faced a challenging geopolitical environment but would avoid rhetoric that fuels conflict.
“As Türkiye, we will closely follow all developments in this region,” Kurtulmuş said. “But we will never engage in war-mongering or heed voices that feed off crisis and chaos. We will continue to present our ideas for peace, justice, prosperity, balance and stability on every platform.”
The speaker’s remarks came as tensions have risen across the Middle East following recent military escalation involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The conflict has heightened concerns about broader regional instability affecting the Eastern Mediterranean and neighboring areas.
Kurtulmuş said the world appeared to be entering a period marked by deeper complexity and uncertainty, noting that the region surrounding Türkiye remained among the most difficult in the world.
“To speak confidently about these principles, Türkiye must be strong and firmly grounded,” he said, adding that the country must mobilize all available resources to strengthen its position in a rapidly changing international environment.
He emphasized that national unity and social solidarity were central to Türkiye’s strength.
“If we keep our ranks tight, strengthen the brotherhood and shared destiny among us, and treat our differences as a source of unity rather than division, we can build strong social cohesion at home,” he said.
Kurtulmuş described this effort as “fortifying the inner fortress,” explaining that it meant strengthening democracy, listening to different voices and reinforcing shared patriotic values
“If we succeed in doing this, Türkiye will stand firmly and strongly in this geography,” he added.
Kurtulmuş said the evolving global environment also highlighted what he described as the weakening of international institutions and the erosion of rules governing international relations.
“The institutions of the existing international system have been shattered,” he said, arguing that many organizations established to resolve global disputes were no longer functioning effectively.
“No one even knows whether the United Nations General Assembly convened after attacks on Iran,” he said, referring to recent strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. “Whether it meets or not seems to make no difference.”
Kurtulmuş also criticized what he described as the declining influence of international bodies responsible for regulating trade and protecting cultural heritage, saying global governance mechanisms had become increasingly ineffective.
He pointed to Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza and the broader Palestinian territories as examples of what he called the failure of international institutions to respond effectively to violations of humanitarian norms.
“International rules have also been dismantled,” he said, arguing that the use of military power increasingly allowed countries to ignore established norms of sovereignty and international law.
Kurtulmuş also warned that concepts traditionally used in international law, such as proportionality in armed conflict, were being distorted.
“The concept of proportionality once meant that even in war there were limits,” he said. “Today, it is being used as a justification for destruction, massacres and actions that cause immense suffering.”
Despite these challenges, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye would continue to advocate diplomacy and stability while strengthening its internal cohesion and national capacity.
“Our responsibility is to remain strong and continue defending peace and justice in this difficult region,” he said.
