Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Israel’s military actions against Iran are endangering the entire Middle East and undermining the international system, according to a statement from Erdoğan’s office.
“The spiral of violence that began with Israel’s attacks on Iran has put the security of the entire region at risk,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying during the call.
He added that the “lawless attitude” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government constitutes a “clear threat to the international system” and warned that the region “cannot tolerate a new war.”
The Kremlin confirmed the call and said both leaders called for an “immediate end” to hostilities between Israel and Iran.
“The leaders called for an immediate end to hostilities and the settlement of contentious issues, including those related to Iran’s nuclear programme, exclusively through political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said in its readout.
The phone call comes as Turkey intensifies diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions following Israel’s missile strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks over the weekend.
The confrontation marks the most direct and intense exchange between the two countries in decades, prompting international concern over a broader regional conflict.
© Agence France-Presse