The Middle East cannot withstand another war, says Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the Middle East cannot withstand another war and called for a return to the negotiating table to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.    

According to a statement issued by the Turkish Presidential Press Office, the president made these remarks during his meeting in Istanbul with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is participating in the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

During the meeting, President Erdogan explained that his country firmly opposes the attacks perpetrated by Israel, whether against Gaza Strip, Lebanon or Syrian territories, as well as its attacks against Iran.

Turkey’s stance is consistent with the principles that demand respect for sovereignty and the rejection of violence, the President asserted.

He noted that Ankara has recently intensified its efforts and diplomatic contacts with several international parties to try to halt the growing escalation in the region and return to political solutions instead of descending into a wider war.

Erdogan demanded that Israel immediately cease its aggressive policies and return to political rationality. He also stated that the risks posed by Israeli attacks against Iran have reached a level of severity that will directly affect Iran’s neighbors, primarily Turkey and Pakistan.

During the reception in Istanbul of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Erdogan stressed on the importance of resuming the diplomatic process between the United States and Iran, which he described as the only possible way to resolve the nuclear dispute between the two sides.