Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, amid growing regional concerns over the latest Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

According to a statement from the Turkish Presidency, President Erdoğan strongly condemned the recent Israeli attacks targeting Iran, describing them as a flagrant violation of international law and an intentional provocation to destabilize the region.

Expressing his condolences to the Iranian people over the civilian casualties, Erdoğan underscored that Israel’s aggressive actions are not only unlawful but also appear to be a deliberate attempt to undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts, particularly the stalled nuclear negotiations.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to sabotage the nuclear talks with these reckless attacks,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying, warning that the continuation of such acts risks plunging the entire region into broader conflict.

Erdoğan also drew attention to the broader context of the attacks, stating that Israel’s military campaign against Iran was a strategic move to shift global focus away from its ongoing war on Gaza. “These strikes are part of an effort to distract the international community from the genocide being perpetrated in Gaza,” he said.

Touching upon rising fears of a nuclear incident, Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye is carefully monitoring the developments surrounding the alleged nuclear leak at Iran’s Natanz facility, which was reportedly targeted during the Israeli assault.

The Turkish leader reaffirmed that diplomacy must remain the only viable path for resolving the nuclear dispute, warning that military escalation would only further endanger regional and global security.

The call comes amid intensifying international alarm over the expanding conflict between Israel and Iran, with fears growing of a broader war engulfing the Middle East. (ILKHA)