Turkey warns US must rein in Israel to secure Iran deal
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Washington faces a “structural” test of influence, as Ankara urges Gulf states to avoid escalation and give diplomacy time
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says if the United States is to negotiate or reach an agreement with Iran, it needs to be prepared to exert very serious influence on Israel and “we will see who will prevail here.”
America wants to end the war but Israel does not, and a structural issue in world politics is whether Israel will prevail, says Fidan in a recent interview to The Guardian about how his country sees the talks going on between Iran and the U.S., which his country is mediating.
He said the U.S. has a political problem. “[Its] publicly declared objective was the destruction of missile and military industrial infrastructure. We are largely faced with explanations that this objective has been achieved. Therefore, U.S. public opinion and the world public opinion are asking, ‘If such a thing exists, why are you continuing this war, which has very serious economic repercussions for the whole world in a negative sense?’ That pressure exists.
“But the problem, as with the Gaza issue and other issues, is that the world cannot apply a pressure mechanism on Israel. Of course, if America is going to reach an agreement or negotiations with Iran, it needs to be prepared to exert very serious influence on Israel. We will see who will prevail here.”
US-Iran talks can succeed
He added the U.S.-Iran talks can succeed. “My message to both sides is, don’t take these opening positions too seriously, but if there is a real intention on both sides, they can certainly be brought together somewhere. So, what is important here is that the negotiations continue, that the parties do not withdraw from the negotiations, that they are genuine, and that they trust each other.
“I don’t think the mediators are too involved in the content at this stage. Because it’s too early, the discussion phase hasn’t begun. (Regarding negotiations) Only one side’s request has been conveyed to the other side. The other side will also convey its response to this, and after the positions are seen, if the mediators don’t agree on these positions, they will have the opportunity to step in if they have more creative ideas and solutions.”
Advice to Gulf states: “Be patient, don’t react”
He fears some Gulf states may finally lose patience and attack Iran but advises them not to react, as it is exactly the scenario Israel wants. “There is a serious chance some Gulf states will attack Iran and this will set off a chain of events equivalent to a nuclear explosion with consequences lasting 30-40 years,” he warns.
Fidan said the region is being drawn step by step into a game scripted by Israel, saying, “At the point we have reached now, while a war is being waged against Iran, we unfortunately see that a seed of discord is being sown in the region through Israeli expansionism, which will make it almost impossible for Muslims in the region to unite again. In other words, our number one goal as Turkiye is to prevent this discord from emerging.”
Turkiye’s advice to the Gulf states is “‘Please be patient, don’t react.’ This reaction will leave long-lasting consequences. This is exactly the scenario Israel wants. That is, for Islamic countries to get into a long-term conflict with each other in the region. Please don’t do this, this is our advice to both Iran and other countries.”
On the Strait of Hormuz, two problems exist. The first “is to resolve the existing practical problems, particularly addressing issues related to certain vessels. The second is to determine how to build a lasting solution, which will form a fundamental part of any future ceasefire and peace agreement.”
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
