Türkiye’s Parliament held a rare closed-door session on Tuesday to discuss the escalating war between the U.S., Israel and Iran and its potential consequences for Türkiye and the wider Middle East, as officials warned that the crisis reflects a broader breakdown in the international system.
The meeting of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) was chaired by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and attended by senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, along with leaders and deputies of the country’s political parties.
The closed session came amid rising tensions across the region following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict and its implications for Türkiye’s security and diplomacy.
Opening the session, Kurtulmuş said recent developments in the Middle East were exposing deep structural problems in the global political order and warned that international norms were increasingly being undermined.
“We are all witnessing that the recent events reveal profound tremors regarding the nature of the international system,” Kurtulmuş told lawmakers in his opening address. “The attacks against Iran have further destabilized an already fragile balance in our region.”
He said the ongoing conflict should not be viewed solely through a military lens, arguing that it reflects a broader crisis in the rules-based international order. “The picture we are facing cannot be explained merely as a military development,” he said. “What we see is a systemic crisis where the use of force is increasingly replacing the rule of law and where international mechanisms are being rendered ineffective.”
Kurtulmuş added that global institutions designed to maintain peace and enforce international law were losing their ability to restrain powerful states.
“There are rules, but they cannot be applied against the powerful,” he said. “Concepts such as legitimacy, sovereignty, diplomacy and deterrence are being eroded.”
According to Kurtulmuş, the erosion of the rules-based international system signals a broader transformation in global politics.
“It must be clearly stated that the international system has entered a serious phase of disintegration in terms of its nature and functioning,” he said. “Law is being replaced by power, principles by arbitrariness, and collective conscience by strategic calculations.”
Kurtulmuş also highlighted the humanitarian consequences of ongoing conflicts in the region, pointing to civilian casualties in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.
“The heaviest price is always paid by civilians,” he said. “The humanitarian tragedy caused by the killings, starvation and destruction in Gaza continues with all its weight. Now the suffering of civilians in Iran and the deepening losses in Lebanon stand before us as new chapters of this tragedy.”
He said there was no difference between the pain of victims across the region, saying, “The pain of innocent people buried in Gaza’s soil is no different from the pain of those who lost their lives in Iran or Lebanon.”
Kurtulmuş also stressed that Türkiye could not remain silent in the face of regional injustice and instability.
“Our moral and political stance as a nation is clear,” he said. “Our civilization and historical consciousness require us to speak the truth openly against injustice. Remaining silent in such times is not neutrality but often the most comfortable refuge of oppression.”
“Türkiye cannot remain silent in such times. This Parliament cannot remain silent.”
The speaker argued that several crises across the Middle East, including those in Gaza, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and Somalia, were interconnected and reflected broader regional instability.
He also said Israel’s policies toward neighboring countries had been a major driver of escalating tensions in the region. “The aggressive line pursued by Israel toward regional countries has become a determining factor,” Kurtulmuş said.
At the same time, he warned that a widening conflict could draw in more actors and deepen global instability, calling for an immediate halt to attacks and for diplomatic solutions to prevent the conflict from expanding.
Kurtulmuş emphasized that Türkiye was pursuing an active diplomatic approach aimed at preventing further escalation, noting that Türkiye evaluates regional developments not only in terms of power balances but also their humanitarian, legal and political consequences. “Our state acts with a principled, calm and results-oriented diplomacy,” he said.
He also underscored that Türkiye would continue diplomatic efforts while safeguarding its national security and regional stability.
“While making the strongest efforts for peace, we also have the capability and determination to protect our national security, our borders and the peace of our people,” he said.
Kurtulmuş said Ankara would not allow regional turmoil to undermine its internal security initiatives, including efforts to combat terrorism.
“No attempt will be allowed to transform regional shocks into new instability through terrorist organizations or proxy actors,” he remarked.
He also criticized what he described as double standards in international reactions to violations of sovereignty in the region. “Violations of the sovereignty of regional states have created a deep crisis of confidence in global public opinion,” he said.
Kurtulmuş further accused Israel’s leadership of fueling regional instability, describing its policies as dangerous and unsustainable. He argued that the main problem in the region was the “aggressive and lawless” approach of Israel’s current leadership and its supporters.
“A governing mentality that throws the region into flames and disregards law and conscience cannot be sustainable,” he stressed.
Following Kurtulmuş’s remarks, Parliament moved into a closed session, during which journalists and visitors were asked to leave the chamber.
Security measures were tightened inside the assembly's building, with press offices cleared, doors locked and signal-blocking jammers activated.
During the session, Foreign Minister Fidan and Defense Minister Güler delivered briefings to lawmakers on the latest developments in the Middle East conflict and its possible implications for Türkiye.
According to parliamentary officials, both ministers spoke for about 30 minutes each, providing updates on diplomatic efforts and security assessments.
After the briefings, representatives of political party groups addressed the assembly for 20 minutes each, expressing their views on the unfolding regional crisis. Two lawmakers from parties without parliamentary groups also spoke during the session.
The closed meeting lasted approximately four hours.
At the end of the session, Deputy Parliament Speaker Pervin Buldan announced that the assembly would reconvene on Wednesday at 2 p.m. local time.
