Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the extension of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, considering that the step represents a “positive development,” and stressed during a phone call with US President Donald Trump that the controversial issues between the two sides can be resolved through negotiation.
The Turkish presidency said, in a statement on Wednesday, that Erdogan informed Trump that he saw the possibility of reaching a “reasonable solution” to the existing differences, in light of the continuation of diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing renewed military confrontation.
The presidency added that during the call, Erdogan stressed the importance of maintaining stability in Syria, considering that its restoration constitutes an “important gain” for the region. He also called for taking steps to prevent the deterioration of the situation in Lebanon, in light of the continuing confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah.
Erdogan also indicated that preparations are continuing to hold the NATO summit in Ankara next July, stressing that Türkiye is working to make the meeting a success “in all aspects.”
For his part, Trump described the contact with Erdogan as “very good,” praising the relationship that unites them, and said: “He is a strong man, and I have a relationship with him that no one else has.”
Trump added: “I think he was and remains a very strong ally,” considering that some of the skepticism about Türkiye’s position is “inaccurate.”
The call comes at a time when Washington and Tehran are continuing efforts to negotiate an end to the war, after Trump announced earlier that the United States is ready to give Iran a few additional days to obtain an “appropriate response.”
The US President confirmed that the negotiations had entered their final stages, hinting once again at the option of military escalation in the event that an agreement was not reached, saying: “Either we will conclude an agreement or we will do some slightly bad things.”
Trump had stopped the military operations called “Epic Rage” about 6 weeks ago, under a ceasefire, while the talks are still facing faltering despite the continuation of regional and international mediations.
