Turkey’s top diplomat has urged Washington to initiate nuclear negotiations with Iran, warning against military action, as US warships arrived in the region amid escalating tensions over Tehran’s crackdown on protests.
Speaking to Qatar-based Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “It’s wrong to attack Iran. It’s wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again.” He added, “My advice has always been to our American friends: close the files one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear issue and close it. Then move on to the others.”
Fidan’s comments came after a US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier took up position in Middle Eastern waters, according to US Central Command, though its exact location was not disclosed. Washington has not ruled out military intervention against Tehran in response to its harsh crackdown on protests, which rights groups say has resulted in thousands of deaths.
Turkey, a NATO member sharing a 530-kilometre border with Iran, has consistently opposed military action targeting the Islamic Republic. Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the unrest as a “new test” for Tehran, pledging that Turkey would “stand against any initiative” that would drag the region into chaos. He expressed hope that diplomacy and dialogue would guide Iran through this “trap-filled period.”
Fidan emphasised that issues with Iran should be addressed individually rather than collectively. “Do not treat them as a package. If you put everything together as one package, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest and truly process it,” he said, noting that bundling issues could even be perceived as humiliating for Iranian leadership.
He also urged Tehran to build trust with regional neighbours. “When I was in Iran two months ago, I was very frank with my Iranian friends. They need to build trust in the region. They need to pay attention to how they are perceived by regional countries,” Fidan said.
