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Türkiye warned Thursday that the war in the Middle East risks spreading further across the region and called for all disputes to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Turkish Ministry of National Defense (MoND) spokesperson condemned Israel's military actions across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories.
Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk stated that the conflict, which began with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran and intensified after Iran targeted third countries, continues to pose a risk of broader regional war.
"All disputes must be resolved on the basis of international law, through dialogue and diplomacy," Akturk said.
"Our determined stance and efforts in this direction continue. We hope that conflicts harming the peace and stability of our region will be brought to an end as soon as possible," he added.
Akturk delivered a sweeping condemnation of Israeli military operations across the region.
He said Israel's attacks in Lebanon "constitute violations of international law and humanitarian law" and have led to the deaths of three United Nations peacekeeping personnel.
"Israel is also continuing to violate Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity through its attacks in the south of the country, while maintaining illegal settlement activities in the West Bank and attacks targeting Gaza," Akturk stated.
He called on the international community to act.
"In order to prevent further damage to the legitimacy of the international system and trust in international law, we once again call on the entire international community, especially the UN, to assume responsibility in preventing Israel's aggression," he noted.
Türkiye has been actively engaged in mediation efforts alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told parliament on Wednesday that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended a four-way meeting in Islamabad to discuss steps toward ending the war.
Erdogan has blamed Israel as the "primary" party responsible for the conflict and said Türkiye is "determined to keep away from this fire" while pursuing every diplomatic avenue for peace.
The war began Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
The conflict has killed over 1,340 people in Iran, according to Iranian authorities, and at least 1,268 in Lebanon since Israeli operations expanded on March 2.
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