Accusing the Israeli government of attempting to undermine the agreement between the United States and Iran, and continuing his sharp rhetoric against the Netanyahu government, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that no peace effort in the Middle East can be lasting without the involvement of countries in the region.
Speaking in Istanbul alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdoğan stated: “No solution that does not draw its strength from the will and contribution of the countries in the region can be permanent.”
Turkey, a NATO member and neighbor of Iran, has repeatedly accused Israel of attempting to sabotage the US-Iran deal, which was brokered with Pakistan’s mediation. Ankara has also condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.
Erdoğan: The current Israeli government must not be allowed to drown our region in the smell of gunpowder and blood again
“We are closely monitoring the Israeli administration’s efforts to blow up the agreement [between the US and Iran]… The current Israeli government, which is addicted to war, must not be allowed to drown our geographic region in the smell of gunpowder and blood once again,” Erdoğan declared, escalating his rhetoric against Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Turkish president also addressed his country’s relationship with Pakistan, noting that Ankara aims to strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy, transportation, critical minerals, information technology, and defense. He added that the two countries are seeking to increase their bilateral trade volume to five billion dollars.
Earlier on Saturday, officials from both countries participated in a business forum in Istanbul. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar stated that Turkish companies are eager to contribute to projects in Pakistan and share Turkey’s expertise in the energy sector, as Islamabad moves forward with transforming its national electricity system.
