Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday hailed US President Donald Trump’s efforts in achieving a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
"I told Trump that, referring to his efforts in the Israel-Iran ceasefire, the same level of effort is expected to help end the conflicts in Gaza as well as in the Russia-Ukraine war," Erdogan told reporters aboard his return flight from the NATO summit in the Netherlands.
“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz would cause major problems. We believe Iran would not take such a step,” the Turkish president said.
Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran on June 13, including military and nuclear facilities, alleging that Tehran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb, a claim vehemently denied by Iran.
While Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, the US joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.
After 12 days of aerial combat between the two regional arch-foes, Trump on Monday announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end their conflict.
Bilateral ties, regional issues
“We had a productive meeting with my friend Trump and discussed bilateral ties, NATO partnership, as well as regional and global issues,” Erdogan said.
“We conveyed our solution-oriented approach on regional issues to Trump and expect his support in this regard," said Erdogan, adding: “Trump responded positively to proposals.”
“We addressed the issue of F-35 fighter jets delivery to Türkiye during talks with Trump, and technical-level talks have begun," said Erdogan, expressing hope that the two sides “will make progress.”
“We've brought Türkiye's air defense system to a certain level,” said the president, adding they are not sufficing with this only, urging the need to enhance “missile capabilities.”
Regarding regional issues, especially Syria, Erdogan underlined that he has clearly conveyed Türkiye’s sensitivities, particularly about Syrian Democratic Forces, to the US side at all levels.
Touching on the war between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan said: “The war must end. The region can no longer bear this burden,” adding: “Just and lasting peace must be established.”
French President Macron said he would speak with Israel on Gaza, President Erdogan said, adding he told Macron: “If you take this step, we would be grateful.”
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing over 56,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
