Türkiye opposes 'any military intervention' against Iran: Fidan

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is opposed to "any military intervention" against Iran, said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday, urging Tehran to resolve its "own internal problems by itself."

Fidan's remarks came during his meeting with journalists in Istanbul.

The issue has an international relations dimension, Fidan said, adding that Tehran is "subject to sanctions" due to some of its policies.

Stating that he had urged his Iranian counterparts to resolve the problems with the regional countries, Fidan said: "It (Iran) should resolve its issues on the global nuclear matter through diplomacy without missing any opportunity, so that certain structural problems causing economic difficulties can be eliminated."

Fidan underlined that when a country is under international isolation, the provision of certain economic services becomes restricted.

"Iran has a large population and a dynamic society. It has sophisticated people with a very strong desire for life and for participation in social life. When you deprive such a society of certain opportunities, these kinds of problems emerge.

"What gets confused here is that the hardships people face due to economic and other difficulties can appear as an ideological uprising against the regime; in reality, this constitutes a grey area.

"When examined closely, there is no situation that would whet the appetite of some countries hostile to Iran abroad, in terms of hostility toward the regime. However, the economic difficulties created by existing policies, and the inability to alleviate them, do give rise to serious problems. We do not want to see any intervention here, but when you look at the policies of (U.S. President Donald) Trump, we have not seen a strong preference so far for the use of ground forces," he further said.