Ankara has reached out to Iran and the United States to reduce tensions between the two countries after the latter threatened to use force against Tehran should it continue to use disproportionate force and kill Iranian protestors.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke on the phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Aragchi, twice in the past 24 hours and exchanged views about developments in Iran and escalation between Washington and Tehran.
The sources informed that Fidan underscored the importance of the negotiations for reducing the current regional tensions.
They also said that Türkiye has also engaged with the U.S. for the same objective without giving details. Fidan met with U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack, who is also the special envoy for Syria, late on Jan. 13 but there was no information whether the two men discussed the situation in Iran.
Ankara’s diplomatic efforts have intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran and stressed that Washington will soon help Iranian protestors. Many have interpreted Trump’s remarks as a sign for a potential military strike against Iranian leadership.
The Trump administration had hit a number of Iranian nuclear sites with its bomber planes during 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025. The U.S. president regularly renews his threats against Tehran if the Iranian leadership continues its nuclear activities.
Türkiye’s main purpose is to keep stability in the region by urging all relevant parties to de-escalate and pledge room for dialogue and diplomacy.
Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), underlined that Türkiye is closely following the developments in Iran. During a press conference on Jan. 12, he said Iran needs to resolve its problems in both state and public life through its own means, adding external interference would bring about negative consequences and would not be legitimate.
“We don’t wish to see chaos sparks in Iran,” Çelik stated.
Fidan in the UAE
In the meantime, Fidan is in the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 14 for talks with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including the situation in Iran, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan.
The visit comes amid efforts to launch the second phase of the Israel-Hamas deal in Gaza.
