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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Tuesday that the global system is undergoing a root-and-branch transformation in which new alliances are being forged, as he warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the world economy into serious turbulence and vowed to dismantle a half-century of bloodshed linked to terrorism at home.
"The global system is undergoing a fundamental change. New alliances are being formed," Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara that lasted approximately two hours and 45 minutes. "Who will control energy resources and trade routes? Who will be the new leaders of the global system?"
Drawing a parallel to the redrawing of borders a century ago, Erdogan said the region had once again been designated as the battleground for a new world order. He maintained that Türkiye had prepared well for this moment, citing steps taken to diversify energy sources, develop underground resources and overhaul the country's security framework.
The president said the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of global energy trade passes, had plunged the global economy into serious turbulence.
The waterway has been effectively shut since late February after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran under what Washington dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US military bases, Israeli territory and Gulf states, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps blocked vessel passage through the strait. Tanker traffic dropped by approximately 70 percent in the initial days, with over 150 ships anchoring outside the strait to avoid risk.
Brent crude surged past $100 per barrel for the first time in four years, reaching as high as $126 at its peak, in what analysts have described as the largest disruption to global energy supply since the 1970s oil crisis. Gulf oil producers including Iraq and Kuwait have been forced to curtail production as storage capacity fills up.
Erdogan said the war, while driven by Israel, was exacting costs paid by the entire world. "The war is Netanyahu's war for political survival, but the price is being borne by eight billion people," he said. He called for the military campaign led by what he described as Netanyahu's "massacre network" to be halted immediately in the name of regional peace and humanity.
He warned that attacks on Gulf countries risked sowing fresh seeds of discord across the Middle East, and declared that Türkiye is determined to remain outside the circle of conflict. "We absolutely do not want the war to turn into a war of attrition among the countries of the region," Erdogan said.
The remarks came two days after a military helicopter belonging to the Qatari Armed Forces crashed into the sea during a training flight under the Qatar-Türkiye Joint Forces Command, killing all seven personnel on board. The dead included four Qatari servicemembers, one Turkish soldier and two technicians from Turkish defense firm Aselsan.
The Turkish Defence Ministry said the aircraft went down due to a technical malfunction, and Qatari authorities are investigating the exact cause. There was no indication the crash was the result of hostile action, though it occurred amid heightened regional tensions, with Qatar having intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles since the conflict began. Erdogan expressed sorrow over the loss, offering prayers for the victims, whom he described as martyrs.
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