President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 15 that Türkiye is actively leading diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions, extend the fragile ceasefire and sustain negotiations between Iran and the United States.
“We are making the necessary appeals and initiatives to lower tensions, extend the ceasefire and continue talks,” Erdoğan told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) during a weekly meeting in parliament.
He warned that actors opposed to the truce must not be allowed to undermine it, saying “the Israeli government, which is known to be unhappy with the ceasefire process, must not be allowed to sabotage it.”
“Negotiations cannot be held with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words,” he said. “The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be utilized.”
Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to advocate for peace and play a leading diplomatic role, stressing its readiness “to be the voice of peace” guided by the principle of promoting stability at home, in the region and globally.
He also praised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for what he described as a firm stance on Gaza, and reiterated Ankara’s support for Palestinians and others affected by regional conflicts.
“If there is to be peace in our region, it will be despite the Israeli government,” Erdoğan said, adding that stability would also be achieved “despite” its policies.
Addressing criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to speak out against what he described as injustices in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
Separately, Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry condemned remarks by Netanyahu targeting Erdoğan over the weekend, saying such statements reflect “discomfort caused by the truths we have expressed on every platform.”
The ministry also pointed to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu over war crimes and crimes against humanity, warning against efforts to undermine ongoing peace talks and reiterating Ankara’s commitment to holding him accountable while supporting civilians affected by the conflict.
In a post on X, Netanyahu accused Erdoğan of “accommodating Iran’s terror regime and its proxies” and “massacring his own Kurdish citizens.”
Türkiye and Israel have had sharply strained relations since the outbreak of the Gaza war, with Erdoğan emerging as one of the most vocal international critics of Israel’s military campaign. He has frequently accused Netanyahu’s government of committing “genocide” in the enclave.
Since the conflict erupted in October 2023, Türkiye has taken steps to cut trade with Israel. In last April, Ankara banned exports of more than 1,000 products to Israel and later imposed a full suspension of exports, imports and transit trade across all categories.
Türkiye has appointed diplomat Mehmet Güllüoğlu as the Palestinian Humanitarian Aid Coordinator to oversee relief operations in Gaza and liaise with local authorities and international partners.
