Turkish FM Fidan stresses need to ‘put out fire’ in Middle East, hopes for lasting peace in region

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday emphasized the importance of “putting out the fire” in the region and expressed hope that the ceasefire reached will be transformed into a lasting peace.

“It is our sincere hope that the ceasefire achieved will be fully implemented and that the process will be transformed into a lasting peace,” Fidan said during his address at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, referring to a 14-day ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8 and Pakistan’s efforts to restart Washington-Tehran talks after the first round in Islamabad failed.

Warning that the world is facing multidimensional threats that trigger one another every day, Fidan said that “uncertainty and crisis have now become defining features of our age.”

Touching on last year’s theme, which focused on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and its global repercussions, Fidan said this year’s theme is the war in Iran and its effects on the world.

“The profound damage to the international system and the continuous escalation have left our region facing one of the most serious trials in its recent history. In this process, humanity has once again learned, at a heavy price, that war has no winner. Undoubtedly, there are historic lessons to be drawn from this war by all, foremost by the countries of the region,” he added.

Praising those who contributed to the two-week ceasefire between the US-Israel and Iran, particularly Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Fidan urged that the core issue underlying the war should not be overlooked.

Pointing out the “direct” threat posed by Israel’s expansionism to the world, which has begun with genocide in Gaza, Fidan urged “those who wish lasting peace both in the region and beyond it” to stop Israel.

He underlined that the international community had demonstrated a rare consensus in efforts to halt the war.

“We must make every effort to use such a valuable opportunity in favor of dialogue and diplomacy. Indeed, this approach lies at the very core of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum: to make diplomacy work again,” he said.

“In our understanding, diplomacy is the will to stop the fire before it spreads further. It is the ability to patiently mend broken ties. It is the courage to prevent hostilities from becoming fatal. It is the art of preserving and expanding the minimum common ground for a shared future. In other words, diplomacy is about shaping tomorrow.”

Fidan said that shaping the future depends on two main pillars.

The first is global institutional reform, arguing that the international governance system must become more inclusive, transparent, and accountable. He said weak and increasingly illegitimate structures can no longer manage today’s crises and stressed that an unjust international system only delays and deepens conflicts.

He added that peace processes should not be left to disruptive actors and that the international community must take common moral and political responsibility.

He also said global prosperity must be shared more fairly and warned that artificial intelligence should not become a new tool of domination in the hands of a few actors.

Humanity must benefit from technological progress collectively, without leaving any country or region behind.

Turning to regional challenges, Fidan said the second pillar is taking strategic steps to secure lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

He pointed to 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 signs of growing simultaneous crises.

He said Türkiye is one of the few countries that is able to speak with all sides based on trust and to play a mediation role.

Fidan added that Türkiye deeply understands the burden and consequences of these crises and will continue to act for the stability of the region.

He said a durable regional order requires respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, recognition of ethnic, cultural, and sectarian diversity as a source of unity, stronger regional security cooperation, an end to the use of non-state actors, and progress toward a two-state solution in Palestine.

He said that bold steps taken in times of deep crisis are what make lasting peace and stability possible.