Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged U.S. President Donald Trump to continue negotiations with Iran to reduce tensions between the countries and offered Ankara’s support in efforts to reach a settlement, Reuters reported Tuesday.
1+According to the report, the two spoke by phone, and Erdoğan stressed to Trump that diplomatic tools with Tehran should be exhausted as much as possible. Turkey hopes the talks will continue and will keep supporting peace efforts in the region, he said. The call came against the backdrop of stalled contacts between the U.S. and Iran and renewed threats from Tehran. An Iranian official told Reuters that Iran may shift to a “full offensive posture” if efforts to reach a permanent settlement don’t advance, after Washington rejected an extension of the temporary ceasefire agreement.
1+Reuters noted that efforts to resume oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have also stalled. Turkey, which borders Iran and has NATO’s second-largest military, has recently maintained ties with the U.S., Iran, and other mediators, including Pakistan and Qatar. According to a statement from the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan and Trump also discussed the war in Gaza, relations between the countries, and the defense agreement recently signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. The Turkish president welcomed the agreement and claimed it reflects a “strong position” for regional stability and security.