FM Fidan urges lasting peace, warns region faces severe test amid crises

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for transforming a fragile cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran into lasting peace and warned of mounting regional risks, saying the Middle East is facing one of its most serious tests in recent history.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Fidan stressed the need to “put out the fire” in the region, expressing hope that the recently reached cease-fire would be fully implemented and evolve into a durable peace.

He referred to the 14-day cease-fire between the United States and Iran reached earlier this month and efforts led by Pakistan to revive stalled talks between Washington and Tehran.

Fidan warned that the world is entering an era defined by overlapping crises and uncertainty, where multiple threats reinforce one another.

He said the ongoing war and its regional spillover effects have caused serious damage to the international system, underlining that the latest escalation has once again demonstrated that war produces no winners.

Praising diplomatic efforts that helped secure the temporary cease-fire, particularly those led by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Fidan said the root causes of the conflict must not be ignored.

He described Israel’s expansionist policies as a direct threat to global stability, urging those seeking lasting peace to take action to halt further escalation.

Fidan noted that the international community has shown rare unity in efforts to de-escalate tensions, calling for this momentum to be used to strengthen dialogue and diplomacy.

He emphasized that diplomacy must remain central to resolving conflicts, describing it as the key tool to prevent further escalation, rebuild trust and preserve common ground for the future.

FM Hakan Fidan meets with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of ADF, Antalya, April 17, 2026. (AA Photo)

Fidan outlined two main pillars for shaping a more stable future. The first is reforming global governance to make international institutions more inclusive, transparent and accountable, warning that current structures are increasingly ineffective and risk deepening crises.

He also stressed the need for fairer distribution of global prosperity and cautioned against the misuse of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence as tools of dominance.

The second pillar, he said, involves taking strategic steps to ensure lasting regional peace and stability. He pointed to ongoing conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel’s expanding military actions from Gaza to Syria, Lebanon and Iran, and instability in the Horn of Africa and Sudan, as evidence of rising interconnected crises.

Fidan highlighted Türkiye’s role as a key diplomatic actor capable of engaging with all sides, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to mediation and regional stability.

FM Hakan Fidan meets with his Austrian counterpart Beate Meinl-Reisinger on the sidelines of ADF, Antalya, April 17, 2026. (AA Photo)

He added that a sustainable regional order requires respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, recognition of diversity as a source of strength, stronger regional security cooperation, an end to the use of non-state actors and progress toward a two-state solution in Palestine.

On the sidelines of the forum, Fidan also held separate meetings with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, brings together world leaders and senior officials from April 17 to 19 in southern Türkiye, focusing this year on the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties.”

DAILYSABAH