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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned against a "devastating war" between Israel and Iran could trigger a refugee crisis and destabilize the entire region, during a series of calls with regional leaders amid rising tensions.
Erdogan told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Israel was seeking “to drag the whole region into the fire,” according to a statement from Türkiye’s presidency. He also accused Israel of attempting to distract the international community from “the genocide in Gaza.”
Erdogan said Türkiye is closely monitoring reports of a potential nuclear leak at Iran’s Natanz facility and reaffirmed that diplomacy is the only viable path forward on nuclear issues.
His remarks came as Israel and Iran exchanged deadly missile and drone attacks, in what observers fear could spiral into a prolonged war involving multiple countries across the Middle East.
Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian territory early Friday, targeting nuclear and missile infrastructure and killing senior military officials and scientists. The attacks continued into Saturday, killing at least 78 people and wounding 320, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that while radiation levels outside the Natanz site remained “unchanged and at normal levels,” the Israeli attacks caused “radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities.”
In a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan said, “Our region cannot tolerate another crisis, and a devastating war could create waves of irregular migration towards all the countries in the region.”
He also called Israel “the main threat to stability and security in the region,” and stressed that Iran’s nuclear program “can only be resolved through negotiations.”
“The fact that the international community has closed its eyes to the occupation and genocide in Palestine has led Israel to this level of flouting the law and its aggression,” Erdogan was quoted as saying.
Erdogan also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. In the call with el-Sissi, Erdogan said Israel’s attacks “seriously” harm regional security and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawlessness threatens global stability, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
“The Netanyahu government’s disregard for international law poses a global threat to stability,” Erdogan said, warning that Israel is trying to derail efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.
He stressed the importance of continuing the talks, mediated by Oman, and said Israel’s attacks must not be allowed to overshadow “the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media that he also spoke with Erdogan. The two leaders agreed that “Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran” was “a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”
Türkiye’s Communications Directorate also said Erdogan on Saturday chaired a security meeting in Ankara following the Israeli attacks and Iran’s retaliation.
The meeting, attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and other officials, reviewed the regional and global implications of the conflict and discussed Türkiye’s contingency measures.
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“The security meeting addressed Israel’s expanding aggression, diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts, the attacks’ global and regional security impacts, necessary measures, and Türkiye’s preparations for potential developments,” the directorate said.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Pezeshkian said Tehran would not attend nuclear talks with the United States as long as Israeli strikes continued.
In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Pezeshkian said Iran favored diplomacy but would not “accept irrational demands under pressure or... sit at the negotiating table while the Zionist regime continues its attacks,” according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.
Oman’s foreign minister confirmed that the sixth round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat had been canceled.
Friday’s Israeli strikes marked the most direct and deadly assault on Iranian territory in decades. The missile barrage targeted Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility and killed high-ranking figures including top military officer Mohammad Bagheri and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps head Hossein Salami, according to Iranian officials.
The Israeli military said its operations killed more than 20 Iranian commanders.
Iranian media reported that five members of the IRGC were killed in continued Israeli strikes on Saturday. Authorities in a northwestern province said 30 military personnel had been killed since Friday.
Iran’s Red Crescent said an ambulance was hit Saturday in the city of Urmia, killing two people.
Iran called on its citizens to unite in defense of the country, while Netanyahu urged Iranians to rise up.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that Tehran had warned Britain, France, and the United States that it could retaliate if they intervene on Israel’s behalf.
Overnight, air raid sirens and explosions were reported across Israel, with many residents sheltering in bunkers. Israeli officials said about 150 missiles were fired from Iran, some of which were intercepted.
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