Turkey’s efforts delayed the start of the US-Israel military campaign against Iran as Ankara proposed “creative solutions” to prevent it, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Ankara on Monday.
Speaking at a fast-breaking dinner on the third day of the hostilities, Fidan said Turkey’s diplomacy pushed back the timeline of coordinated strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and reportedly at least 787 others in Iran.
Fidan asserted that Turkey is engaging with the US, Iran, European governments and Gulf states to help end the fighting.
Fidan said Turkey’s main concern is the conflict expanding and spreading instability across the region, along with an energy disruption that could trigger a global crisis. He warned that closure of the Strait of Hormuz could cause swings in global finance and energy markets and said Turkey is working through military, security, political, economic and energy scenarios while urging an immediate halt to attacks and a return to diplomacy.
He said Iran is trying to raise costs for the US and Israel by targeting energy infrastructure in the Gulf but argued that the approach is unlikely to force Washington to stop the campaign. He also said Iran could threaten Israel with missiles and drones but suggested Iran’s options are limited and said he does not see conditions for a “regime change” outcome inside Iran “at least for now.”
Fidan said Turkey is monitoring Kurdish militant groups in Iran, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), for signs they might exploit Iran’s weakened position. He linked that to Turkey’s peace process with the PKK and said PKK’s dismantling should include its presence in Syria, Iraq and Iran.
He said Turkey has contingency plans for a possible refugee influx from Iran but claimed Iran is preventing its citizens from leaving.
Fidan also said Turkey is working to secure the lifting of US sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) before the November 2026 US midterm elections and suggested that Israel opposes lifting the sanctions.
The conflict began February 28 with coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian government buildings and military sites, followed by Iranian missile and drone attacks on US bases across the region and strikes on Israel. Turkey, which shares a 500-kilometer border with Iran, condemned both the US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliation and denied reports that Turkish territory and airspace are being used for the attacks.