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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Saturday that the region is heading toward a greater and more widespread war, calling for urgent de-escalation and result-oriented diplomacy.
He stated that the international system has "lost its moral compass" and is no longer functional, speaking at the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM Summit 2026) organized by the Directorate of Communications in Istanbul.
Fidan described the current conflict as a war being waged for the political survival of Netanyahu, yet one affecting the entire world.
"This is a war being waged for Netanyahu's political survival, and yet it is producing a picture that affects the whole world. For this reason, we are calling for restraint at the highest level," he noted, adding that, "this conflict can seriously deepen wounds and can seriously affect countries whose destinies are intertwined with one another."
He warned of psychological and civilizational consequences beyond physical destruction by saying, "It can create serious effects not only in cities but also in the hearts and minds of people. There is only one way out at this point, and that is de-escalation and diplomacy."
The Turkish foreign minister noted that Ankara is working in coordination with regional partners on diplomatic solutions.
"Our aim is to take actionable steps and ensure this conflict is ended as soon as possible. This meaningless war must end so that it does not grow further, does not spread further, and so that the global economy does not suffer further irreversible damage," he stated.
"Dialogue channels must remain open here, and a result-oriented negotiation process must begin quickly," Fidan added.
Fidan offered a sharp critique of the state of global governance, saying the current crisis did not emerge overnight but is the result of structural processes.
"The international system has lost its moral compass and is also experiencing difficulties in terms of legitimacy. Crises follow from this, particularly at the point where institutions can no longer sustain security. They cannot prevent tensions and are experiencing difficulties regarding crises and peace," Fidan stated.
He said global governance is "no longer functional, paralyzed, and unsustainable," adding that Türkiye had warned of this for years, adding, "When our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for the reform of international institutions, this was not merely a political slogan; it was in fact a diagnosis."
"This diagnosis was made before these crises reached our doorstep," Fidan said, adding that many actors have lost their geopolitical comfort zones and that the illusion of a self-serving status quo "has now been shattered."
The Turkish foreign minister said the battlefield in today's wars is not only physical but also informational.
"We are living in an era in which narratives are both very meaningful, very important, and very vital. They attempt to shape perceptions, change reality, and distort the truth into deception," he added.
He said the starting point of this information war was Israel's actions in Gaza, saying, "For a very long time, the targeting of civilians has been presented to us through a clearly manufactured narrative attempting to justify this savagery."
"For decades, political and diplomatic tools have been seriously used for Israel's expansionist approach," Fidan added.
He later criticized what he described as double-standard headlines that attempt to legitimize illegal invasions as self-defense but expressed optimism that global public opinion is no longer susceptible to such manipulation.
"The global public can no longer be manipulated with these narratives. Most people can see these manufactured headlines," he concluded.
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