Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a news conference in New York that Israel’s isolation in the international arena was steadily growing. Speaking after attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Fidan said Türkiye was intensifying its diplomatic efforts to prevent conflicts in the region from spreading.
Fidan argued that the injustices committed and massacres carried out by Israel were no longer going unanswered, as they had in the past. He said determined diplomacy played an important role in turning the international community’s reactions into concrete protests, positions and workable policies.
Fidan said Türkiye was pursuing intensive efforts with its partners and allies by using all diplomatic means, adding that the results of these initiatives were clearly visible. He said Türkiye’s goal was to end the tragedy in Gaza immediately, increase humanitarian aid and create an environment in which Palestinians would not have to worry about their future.
Gaza and regional tensions on the agenda
Fidan said Israel was facing an unprecedented situation in the areas of sanctions and law, adding that the process had dimensions involving the International Court of Justice and international criminal courts. He described these developments as the result of a policy pursued under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that placed the humanitarian conscience at the center of global values.
Fidan said the latest developments concerning Gaza and the tensions with Iran were discussed during meetings held by President Erdoğan with U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of countries in the region on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Fidan said two main issues had come to the fore during the meetings: the difficulties and obstacles facing the Gaza peace plan launched last year, and Israel’s failure to comply with the rules. He said the second issue was the ongoing tension in the Gulf region and steps that could be taken to ease it.
Fidan said Erdoğan raised his vision for regional peace, the threats arising from Israel’s expansion, the issue of Gaza and Türkiye’s proposals for overcoming the obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz.
Work on the Mecca Defense Alliance
Fidan said Türkiye was also holding talks on the “Mecca Alliance” and that certain military threats targeting Saudi Arabia had been discussed. He said Türkiye was continuing its intensive efforts to create an environment in the region free from conflict and dominated by peace.
Providing information about the foreign ministers’ meeting of the “Mecca Defense Alliance” held in New York and the alliance’s institutional steps, Fidan said significant progress had been made. He said the alliance aimed to determine its secretariat and appoint a secretary-general within two weeks, adding that member countries were expected to approve the candidate proposed by Pakistan.
Fidan said developments in the region, particularly military threats targeting Saudi Arabia from the north and south, had been discussed at the meetings. He added that he had consulted with Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu after his participation in a military technical assessment meeting in Riyadh, and that Bayraktaroğlu had presented the results to President Erdoğan.
Fidan said the Turkish Armed Forces had a high level of professionalism, as well as the capability and experience to respond to any threat. At the same time, he said Türkiye was continuing to work toward creating a more peaceful environment free from conflict.
Iran-U.S. talks and the Strait of Hormuz
Addressing efforts to find a solution between Iran and the United States, Fidan described the continuation of the talks as positive but the failure to reach an outcome so far as a negative development. He stressed that the efforts must continue through diplomatic channels and that a new war or conflict environment must not be allowed to emerge.
Fidan said Türkiye was discussing ways to prevent the war from spreading across the region with its American and Iranian counterparts. He said that during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he heard Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. side’s initial assessments.
Fidan said the diplomatic process must continue to prevent the war from starting again, adding that this was also consistent with the positions of Türkiye’s allies in the Gulf.
Iraq and the military presence in Bashiqa
On Iraq, Fidan said the Iraqi side had set the disarmament of all armed groups in the country as a political objective and that Türkiye supported this approach. He said President Erdoğan had met with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaydi at the Turkish House in New York.
Fidan said he welcomed the Iraqi government’s decision to set the disarmament of all armed groups in the country as a goal. He said that, in this context, elements in Sinjar controlled by administrations linked to the PKK were also included in that objective.
Fidan said Türkiye’s military presence at the Bashiqa base in northern Iraq had begun following an earlier invitation from the Iraqis to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. He said that once Iraq’s roadmap for ending terrorism and armed groups was implemented, Türkiye would make plans to gradually reduce and ultimately end its presence in the region. Fidan said President Erdoğan had confirmed this approach during his meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.
