ISTANBUL ( WNAM MONITORING ): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday expressed Ankara’s readiness to facilitate diplomacy to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said.
Speaking to his US counterpart Donald Trump over the phone, Erdogan said diplomacy is the only viable path for resolving the nuclear dispute and that Türkiye stands ready to make every effort to this end, including assuming a facilitative role. It was their second phone call in two days.
The Turkish leader welcomed Trump’s recent remarks on ending the Israel-Iran conflict and the establishment of peace in the region, stressing the need for immediate action to prevent a catastrophe that could engulf the entire region in flames.
The spiral of violence arising from Israel’s attacks on Iran has caused “irreparable economic and civilian damage” to both sides, the Turkish president said, stressing the need to put an end to this risky path.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Sunday, said “Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal” and that many calls and meetings were underway to achieve peace.
The conflict began early Friday when Israel struck Iranian military and nuclear sites, and killed many of its top commanders and scientists. Israel has continued the attacks and Iran has launched retaliatory strikes.
The US has demanded Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment activities, which Western powers view as a pathway to building nuclear weapons.
Iran, however, maintains its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
A sixth round of indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat, but got canceled after Israel’s attacks.
