Turkey has reiterated its goal to negotiate a diplomatic resolution amid the growing tension in the Middle East.
In a statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasised his administration’s dedication to using de-escalation and dialogue to end the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
“Turkey is among the countries that defend common sense, defend humanity and seek solutions to crises through dialogue and diplomacy in the face of this madness,” Erdogan said during a March 14 iftar dinner with medical professionals at Istanbul University.
“We will maintain our humanitarian stance that looks at events not from the value of oil, gold or natural gas, but from the perspective of justice, compassion and human dignity,” he added.
Turkey refuses to join the war
Amid the repeated provocations by Iranian military personnel, Erdogan has firmly reiterated Ankara’s refusal to be dragged into the war.
The Turkish president said that Turkey is acting with “great caution against traps and provocations aimed at dragging our country into the war.”
Erdogan’s statement came after the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) defence systems intercepted a third ballistic missile within Turkish airspace in Incirlik, where NATO facilities in Turkey are located.
This facility has reportedly hosted US troops for decades, as part of the US and NATO’s defence initiative in the Middle East.
Iran has previously declared a wide-scale pursuit against US and Israeli military facilities within the region, warning that it will attack any US and Israel-linked military assets in the Gulf.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Korea Coast Guard, Ghana Navy sign MoU on maritime safety, security
Ankara eyes back-channel talks between Washington, Tehran
In an interview with The Associated Press, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey is currently looking to negotiate a resumption of talks between the US and Iran.
According to Fidan, Iranians are feeling “betrayed” because they were attacked by the US “while in active negotiations” over their nuclear programme, making the conditions for any direct diplomatic negotiations “not conducive”.
However, Fidan told AP that Iran might be open to “sensible back-channel diplomacy,” adding that he has been persuading Tehran to stop its attacks on countries hosting US bases within the region.
Turkey continues to monitor the Strait of Hormuz
Turkey is also monitoring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategic choke points for global oil trade in the world.
The Iranian government has previously blocked the passage of non-Chinese and foreign vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
On Friday, Iranian officials permitted a Turkish-owned vessel to sail through the strait.
“Fifteen ships with Turkish owners were in the region. We received authorisation from the Iranian authorities for one vessel that had used an Iranian port, and it was able to pass,” Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told local media.
According to Uraloglu, the Turkish government is currently negotiating for the safe passage of its 14 remaining vessels.
READ NEXT: Countries implement energy-saving measures amid soaring global energy prices
Liam McLaughlan 
Paolo Castro 
Shameeka Voyiya