Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that peace efforts in the Middle East would not succeed without the support of regional countries, warning that Israel should not be allowed to undermine a U.S.-Iran agreement mediated by Pakistan.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Istanbul with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan said any lasting settlement in the region must be backed by the will and participation of regional states.
“No solution that does not take strength from the will and contributions of regional countries can be lasting,” Erdogan said, according to Reuters.
Erdogan said Turkey was closely watching what he described as Israeli efforts to derail the agreement between Washington and Tehran. His comments came as Ankara continued to criticize Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and as Turkey sought to present regional diplomacy as essential to easing tensions.
“We are closely following the Israeli administration’s attempts to dynamite the U.S.-Iran deal,” Erdogan said, according to Reuters. “The current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to drown our geography in the smell of gunpowder and blood again.”
Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s state-run news agency, reported that Erdogan also referred to the Islamabad Memorandum, an interim understanding between the United States and Iran mediated by Pakistan, and praised Sharif’s role in helping secure the process. Erdogan said Turkey supported steps that could reduce tensions and resolve regional problems through diplomacy.
Turkey, a NATO member and a neighbor of Iran, has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the U.S.-Iran deal, Reuters reported. The claim remains a political accusation by Ankara and has not been independently established.
Pakistan has played a prominent mediation role in the recent U.S.-Iran diplomatic process. Arab News reported last month that Sharif’s office said he had signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as mediator, after the agreement was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The report said the deal was intended to end months of conflict, ease sanctions on Tehran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The agreement has faced uncertainty over its details and implementation. Earlier reporting by Arab News said Washington and Tehran had publicly offered conflicting accounts of the proposed deal before the text was finalized, while Pakistan said it was working with both sides to advance the process.
Erdogan’s remarks were made during Sharif’s visit to Istanbul, where the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional issues. Erdogan said Turkey aimed to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in energy, transportation, critical minerals, information technology and defense, while pursuing a bilateral trade target of $5 billion.
Officials from both countries also attended a business forum in Istanbul earlier Saturday. Reuters reported that Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkish companies wanted to contribute to projects in Pakistan and share Turkey’s energy-sector expertise as Pakistan works to transform its electricity sector.
The remarks underline Ankara’s effort to position itself as a supporter of regional diplomacy while maintaining strong criticism of Israel’s conduct across the Middle East. They also highlight the fragility of the U.S.-Iran process, which remains under pressure from regional tensions, Israeli concerns, sanctions disputes and unresolved questions over Iran’s nuclear program.
