Ankara, Turkey – The Turkish Ministry of National Defense issued a strongly worded statement today, warning that the open conflicts between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, in addition to ongoing Israeli attacks, pose an existential threat to peace and stability in the Middle East.
The Ministry called on all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint, emphasizing that military solutions will only exacerbate the crises. Ankara stressed the necessity of resorting to dialogue and diplomacy as the only way to resolve disputes, in accordance with the principles of international law and the UN Charter. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense urged the international community, and major powers in particular, to assume their moral and political responsibilities by intervening immediately and preventing the region from sliding into a full-blown war with potentially catastrophic consequences for global peace.
Regarding the developments on the ground related to these tensions, the Ministry announced a strategic development: NATO’s decision to formally end its mission in Iraq (NMI).
In this context, the Ministry confirmed that Turkish forces stationed in Baghdad as part of this mission have completed their safe return to Turkey.
The Ministry explained that Turkey, in fulfillment of its responsibilities as a NATO member, provided extensive logistical and military cooperation to facilitate the withdrawal of other member states’ forces and ensure their security during their withdrawal from Iraq.
This move comes at a time when Ankara is seeking to reassess its strategic position in light of the changing landscape of alliances and threats in the Middle East.
