Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that the agreement between the US and Iran marked a “very important step” to end the war that began with provocations from Israel on Feb. 28, adding that it gave the region “a sigh of relief,” Anadolu reports.
“The US-Iran agreement is a very important step in the war that began with provocations from Israel on Feb. 28,” Erdogan said after the Cabinet meeting. “Our region, which has been on the brink, has breathed a sigh of relief.”
Erdogan said Turkiye was greatly pleased “on behalf of our region and all humanity” with the agreement reached with Ankara’s contributions.
“We hope the agreement will fully open the way toward the establishment of lasting peace and stability in our region,” he said.
The Turkish president said no Turkish citizen was harmed in the crisis. “Plans to pit brothers against each other did not achieve their goal.”
READ: US, Iran sign nuclear pact to end war, reopen Strait of Hormuz, senior US official says
He added that attempts to “ignite new flames of discord among Turks, Arabs, Kurds and Persians” ended in a failure.
On NATO, Erdogan said Turkiye is among the leading countries supporting the alliance’s peace mission.
“As we develop our defense capabilities, we contribute to the alliance’s deterrence,” he said.
Erdogan said Turkiye would continue to play a leading role in NATO with its comprehensive military capabilities, strategically important geography and historical depth.
He also said Turkiye’s position within the alliance and developments unfolding in the region have increased interest and expectations from the alliance’s Ankara Summit.
READ: No lifting of Iran sanctions without behavior change: EU Commission chief
