AA photo.
Türkiye on Oct. 23 warned that any renewed attack on Iran would risk broadening the war and spreading conflict across the region, as Istanbul hosted senior diplomats from key regional powers and European countries for high-level talks.
“We agree that a new attack on Iran would widen the war and spread the conflict across the region. Military intervention in Iran is by no means a solution. No one is endorsing it at this point,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters following the meeting.
Fidan chaired the inaugural joint meeting of the R4 and E3 diplomatic groups, bringing together Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia under the R4 framework, alongside the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which make up the E3.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also attended the talks.
The Oct. 23 gathering marked the first joint meeting of the two groupings, reflecting efforts to strengthen cooperation between European powers and key regional actors amid mounting geopolitical tensions.
Fidan said all countries represented at the meeting opposed any further escalation and supported efforts to end the ongoing conflicts both in the Gulf and Ukraine.
“All the countries around the table want to prevent the war from spreading further. They want the wars in both the Gulf and Ukraine to end,” he said.
“They support a ceasefire and believe diplomacy is the only way forward. This meeting was one of the most significant diplomatic events of recent months,” Fidan said.
His remarks came as several U.S. media outlets reported that the Trump administration was considering resuming strikes on Iran after the country’s midterm elections.
On regional maritime security, Fidan stressed the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that disruptions there were driving up prices in Europe.
Fidan also reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia, stressing that the Houthis must halt their attacks in the Red Sea.
“The Strait of Hormuz needs to be reopened immediately, and attacks targeting Saudi Arabia must stop,” he said.
Addressing the Russia-Ukraine war and attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea, Fidan called for an end to the fighting, or at least safeguards for critical trade.
“Either the war must stop, or, if it does not, the parties must establish exemptions for energy and grain,” he said.
On a question regarding a maritime deal with Libya, Fidan said efforts to ensure stability in the country would continue unabated following the eastern-based House of Representatives' approval of the agreement with Türkiye.
The Libyan parliament in Benghazi unanimously approved the 2019 maritime agreement with Türkiye on Oct. 20, reversing its previous rejection of the deal.
The Turkish top diplomat also said his Egyptian counterpart raised Cairo's reservations about the agreement during the Istanbul meeting, adding that Ankara is ready to address Egypt's concerns.
“We are in a constructive position when it comes to addressing Egypt's reservations,” Fidan said, adding that Türkiye, Italy and Egypt could hold consultations to discuss the issues causing concern.
“We have no problem with holding talks on this matter,” he said.
Fidan also said conditions matured for progress toward unifying Libya's rival administrations in the east and west of the country.
He said ongoing efforts focused on bringing Libya's political and military structures together under a unified framework.
“Soon, you will hear us announce some very good news on this matter,” Fidan said.
The R4 mechanism, established this year by Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, is intended to promote lasting regional stability and strengthen dialogue on shared challenges through an approach based on regional ownership.
The four countries have held six foreign ministers’ meetings, beginning in Riyadh on March 18, with the most recent taking place in New York on Sept. 21 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level week.
The E3, comprising Britain, France and Germany, emerged from diplomatic coordination on Iran’s nuclear program launched in 2003. Initially focused on the nuclear issue, the grouping has gradually developed into a platform for joint diplomatic initiatives on a broader range of regional and international matters.
