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Iran is “ready” for a “fair and equitable nuclear deal” and has “never” pursued nuclear weapons, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“In our conversations (on Friday), I reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons and is ready to embrace a fair and equitable nuclear deal that meets the legitimate interests of our people; this includes ensuring ‘No Nuclear Weapons’ and guaranteeing the lifting of sanctions,” Araghchi said Saturday in a post on X.
Araghchi said the talks focused on Türkiye-Iran bilateral ties and regional issues of mutual concern, adding that Ankara, alongside other “brotherly” nations, has offered its good offices to promote peace and stability in the region.
Tehran is “grateful for such efforts and welcomes them,” he said, expressing Iran's readiness to work with regional countries to safeguard peace and stability and to “shield it from unlawful aggression.”
The remarks came as Araghchi paid an official visit to Türkiye on Friday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that Ankara opposes any military intervention against Iran and supports a peaceful resolution of Iran's internal issues by its own people.
“We have told our counterparts at every opportunity that we are against a military intervention targeting Iran,” Fidan said at a joint news conference with Araghchi in Istanbul.
“We hope that Iran’s internal issues will be resolved peacefully by the Iranian people without any external intervention,” he added.
The two ministers met amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington following statements by US President Donald Trump that a “massive armada” was moving toward Iran, along with his call for Tehran to “come to the table” for negotiations.
Iranian officials have warned that any U.S. attack would prompt a “swift and comprehensive” response, while saying Tehran remains open to talks only under what it describes as “fair, balanced, and noncoercive terms.”
Fidan said regional and bilateral issues were discussed in depth, stressing that stability and security remain core priorities of Türkiye's foreign policy.
“Ensuring the stability and security of our region is one of the fundamental priorities of our foreign policy. We have always advocated that regional problems should be resolved through a sense of regional ownership,” he said.
He said Türkiye conducts its policies in the Middle East, Balkans and the South Caucasus in line with this principle and emphasized that peace and prosperity in neighboring Iran are of great importance for both Türkiye and the wider region.
Fidan said developments in Iran are being closely monitored.
“We would like to reiterate our deep sorrow over the loss of lives during the protests and extend our condolences to the Iranian people. It is encouraging that incidents have largely subsided. We hope that calm will be permanent,” he said.
Fidan warned that the PKK terrorist organization has sought to exploit recent developments, posing a danger to both Türkiye and Iran, and stressed the need for a joint struggle against the group.
He also underscored the importance of resuming Iran-US nuclear negotiations on constructive grounds to ease regional tensions.
“The negotiations would also pave the way for the lifting of sanctions on Iran and for Iran's integration into the international economic system. These steps would bring significant gains for all parties. At this stage, relations need to be normalized based on a new agreement,” Fidan said.
He reiterated that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has consistently conveyed opposition to any military intervention against Iran.
Recalling that Erdogan earlier spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Fidan said Türkiye rejects military options.
“We do not believe this would be effective. We advocate negotiation and diplomacy. What has happened in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza remains fresh in our memories. While we are still trying to heal wounds of the past, opening a new wound in our region would benefit no one,” he said.
Fidan said he told Araghchi that Türkiye is ready to provide all necessary support for resolving issues through peaceful means.
“At the same time, we observe that Israel is attempting to persuade the U.S. to carry out a military strike against Iran. These efforts by Israel have the potential to severely damage the already fragile stability of our region."
"We hope that the U.S. administration will act with prudence and will not allow this to happen. Israel must put an end to its destabilizing policies in the region,” he said.
Fidan said developments regarding Gaza were also discussed.
“Today, the urgent issue before us is to alleviate suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and enable them to look to future with hope. Second phase of Gaza peace plan has begun. Our country has made serious contribution to achieving ceasefire in Gaza. We will continue to play an active role in next phase as well,” he said.
He said Türkiye is part of the Board of Peace mechanisms and that he will participate in the work of the Gaza Executive Board to support the Gaza Administration National Committee and High Representative efforts.
“Gaza must be governed by Gazans. Gaza borders must not be altered. Reconstruction in Gaza must be carried out for Gazans, based on the needs and future of people of Gaza,” Fidan said.
Fidan reiterated Türkiye's opposition to efforts targeting Syria's unity and territorial integrity, noting that an extended de-escalation period has been in place since Jan. 24.
He said they had received messages indicating an agreement on integration and that Türkiye is closely examining developments, adding that genuine integration is in Syria's interest.
Fidan stressed the importance of completing the safe transfer of detainees from prisons to Iraq and said Türkiye and Iran are closely monitoring the formation of the new Iraqi government following parliamentary elections.
“We also emphasized the importance of maintaining a secure and stable environment in Iraq for both our countries and our region,” he said.
Fidan said Türkiye and Iran are key actors in shared geography and that continuity of contacts benefits both bilateral relations and regional security.
Asked whether Türkiye received any concrete message from the U.S. on easing tensions with Iran, Fidan said Ankara continues to follow foreign policy principles set out by Erdogan, aimed at de-escalating conflicts and preventing new wars.
He said continued conflicts fuel terrorism, mass migration and poverty.
“Based on the same logic, we did not accept such an attack against our neighbor and brother Iran last June. Nor is it possible for us to endorse any future attack,” he said.
Fidan said Erdogan has been working intensively to resolve core disputes between Iran and the U.S., particularly the nuclear file.
He said he held talks with US President Donald Trump, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, consulted regional counterparts and exchanged views with Araghchi.
“Neither deadlock nor war is a solution. What is needed is a solution and peace, and we are working with all our strength toward that,” Fidan said.
Fidan said Türkiye opposes regional expansionism of any kind.
“Just as we do not want Turkish expansionism, Arab expansionism or Persian expansionism, we also do not want to see Israeli expansionism,” he said.
Referring to Israel's actions, he said attacks on Lebanon and Iran, occupations in Syria, and an attack on Qatar point to expansionist ambitions.
“These must be brought to an end as soon as possible, and Israel must be brought to a framework in which it respects the borders of other countries in the region, including the State of Palestine,” he said.
Fidan said regional countries are not “weak or helpless.”
“The era is now an era of cooperation,” he said, adding that Israel's recognition of the State of Palestine and abandonment of expansionist policies would serve both Israel’s interests and regional peace.
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