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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called Israel “the greatest threat” to regional stability and security during a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, following Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian territory.
“Israel, under the Netanyahu administration, poses the greatest threat to the region’s stability and security, and this has been reaffirmed through its recent attack on Iran,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement posted on X.
Erdogan and the crown prince, commonly known as MBS, discussed the Israel-Iran conflict as well as broader regional and global developments during the call..
The Turkish president said the “international community’s silence in the face of the occupation and genocide in Palestine has emboldened Israel in its lawless and aggressive actions.”
Erdogan also warned that Israel’s assault on Iran—launched as nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran were ongoing—was aimed at undermining diplomatic efforts.
He said the attacks, which reportedly caused nuclear leaks, again revealed “how irresponsibly Israel threatens both regional and global security.”
The Turkish leader stressed that the region cannot endure another major crisis and warned that a devastating war could spark waves of irregular migration impacting the entire region. He said the nuclear dispute should only be resolved through continued dialogue.
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, which continued into Saturday, have killed at least 78 people and injured 320 others, 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 Iran’s Natanz nuclear site remained “unchanged and at normal levels,” the attacks did cause “radiological and chemical contamination inside the facilities.”
President Erdogan and Jordanian King Abdullah II also held phone call on Saturday, discussing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which began with Israeli attacks on Iranian territories, claiming the lives of civilians as well as high-ranking military officers, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said.
Israel’s attacks on Iran constitute a provocation that could seriously harm the region’s security, Erdogan warned, stressing that "the aggressive and lawless stance" of Israel and the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu create a global issue for stability and security.
Erdogan said that these attacks undermine efforts to resolve the issue over Iran’s nuclear program.
Any potential nuclear leakage resulting from Israel’s strikes threatens civilians as well as regional and global health—an issue Israel is disregarding, he added.
Noting that the region cannot tolerate another crisis, President Erdogan said continuing nuclear talks is the only way to resolve the conflict.
President Erdogan also urged that these attacks should not overshadow the Palestinian cause.
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