Türkiye holds security meeting as Iran-Israel tensions escalate

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a high-level security meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Saturday, to address the escalating Israel-Iran conflict and its impact on regional and global security, according to Turkish Presidency.

The talks focused on Israel’s recent attacks on Iran, Tehran’s retaliation, and Türkiye’s potential contingency measures.

The meeting examined the conflict sparked by Israel’s unprecedented aerial strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites since Friday.

The assaults, which killed dozens including top Iranian commanders and civilians, disrupted plans for a new round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday, according to mediators in Oman.

Erdoğan’s administration voiced concerns over the rising tensions, a statement from the presidency said.

The discussions weighed Türkiye’s role in mitigating the crisis, stressing the importance of diplomatic solutions. 

Erdoğan also held calls with multiple world leaders, including Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Shara, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, urging collective action to curb Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Israel reacted furiously to the waves of drone and missile strikes launched by Iran, which lit up the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The Israeli military said it had cleared an aerial path to the Iranian capital, after dozens of strikes targeting missile launchers and air defenses in Iran.