Turkish Foreign Minister: "U.S. Must Avoid Use of Force Against Iran"

Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister of T?rkiye, stated on January 15 (local time), "It is unacceptable for a limited attack on Iran by Israel and the United States, as occurred during the '12-Day War,' to happen again." He expressed opposition to the possibility of U.S. military intervention in light of the recent anti-government protests in Iran.

At a press conference held in Istanbul that day, Minister Fidan said, "The top priority is to avoid any situation that could lead to the use of force." He added, "Iran is our neighbor with whom we share a border and a friend. It is in our interest for Iran to resolve issues with major international actors and to avoid scenarios of instability that could spread throughout the region."

To this end, Minister Fidan stated, "We will continue our diplomatic efforts," and added, "We hope that the United States and Iran will resolve this either through mediators or through direct dialogue."

Meanwhile, he commented on U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's announcement the previous day regarding the 'Second Phase of the Gaza Peace Initiative,' saying, "Although the process is slow, it is proceeding smoothly," but also criticized, "The Netanyahu government of Israel is not actively implementing the plan."