As tensions between the US and Iran rise, “it would be wrong to start another war,” Turkey’s top diplomat told Al Jazeera.
Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that the US attack on Iran was “wrong” and called on the US and Iran to resolve the issue diplomatically and gradually.
In an interview with Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas, part of which was broadcast on Wednesday, Fidan called for regional cooperation as tensions with Iran escalate and the United States accumulates military assets in the Middle East.
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“It is wrong to start another war,” Fidan said.
After a 12-day conflict last June, the United States sent an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf as President Trump continued to threaten to launch new attacks against Iran.
Iranian officials have vowed to launch a “comprehensive and regretful response” in the event of another attack.
Diplomacy is still possible
Earlier this month, President Trump told Iranian anti-government protesters that “help is on the way” and urged them to take over state institutions.
On Tuesday, President Trump emphasized the buildup of U.S. forces in the region while leaving the door open to diplomacy.
“By the way, right now we have another beautiful armada floating beautifully towards Iran. So let’s wait and see. I hope they reach an agreement,” he told supporters at the rally.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, Fidan suggested a diplomatic solution was still possible.
“Iran is ready to renegotiate the nuclear file,” Turkey’s top diplomat said.
After Israel started the war by bombing Iran in June, the United States attacked three major Iranian nuclear facilities. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that the attack “annihilated” Iran’s nuclear program.
However, the Iranian government insists on its right to nuclear enrichment, and the whereabouts of the country’s highly enriched uranium remains unknown.
One problem at a time
Beyond its nuclear program, U.S. officials say Iran should reduce its missile force and end support for allied non-state actors in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
“My advice to our American friends is to close the file with Iran one by one. Start with the nuclear, close that, and then close the rest,” Fidan said.
“If you package it all together, it’s going to be very difficult for our friends in Iran to digest it and really process it and go through this. And sometimes it may seem like a humiliating thing for them. It’s going to be very difficult to explain not only to themselves but also to their leaders.”
Fidan said Iran could fit into a “perfect place” within the regional order.
“They need to build trust in the region,” Fidan said of the Iranians. “They need to pay attention to how they are viewed by regional countries, because they’re not going anywhere, but we’re not going anywhere either.”
Turkey’s top diplomat added that despite differences in ideology, inclinations and sects, regional countries need to work together and cooperate within the nation-state system.
The full interview will be broadcast on Al Jazeera English on Thursday at 16:30 Japan time.
