Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye had managed to stay out of regional conflicts by resisting provocations, avoiding political traps and pursuing a cautious approach amid growing instability across the Middle East.
“We have kept our country away from the conflicts around us. We have not yielded to provocations. We have not fallen into traps or been drawn into provocations,” Erdogan said at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Monday.
He credited his government with navigating difficult regional developments through patience, intelligence and common sense, adding that officials were working around the clock to protect Türkiye from the consequences of escalating crises.
Erdogan warns of a ‘ring of fire’
The president highlighted the Russia-Ukraine war, continuing Israeli attacks on Palestine and tensions involving neighbouring Iran as major sources of concern.
“The Russia-Ukraine war just north of us will enter its fifth year in a few months. Israel’s attacks on Palestine continue unabated despite the agreements that have been signed,” he said.
Erdogan said tensions in Iran had yet to subside fully before a new conflict emerged in Yemen, adding that attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia had further increased regional instability.
Describing Saudi Arabia as a friendly and brotherly country, he also referred to an attack on an airport in Riyadh that he said had killed numerous people, including Muslims performing Umrah, the pilgrimage to Mecca undertaken outside the annual Hajj season, and wounded hundreds.
Lebanon and Syria add to Ankara’s concerns
Erdogan said the situation in Lebanon remained troubling and accused Israel of seeking to destabilise Syria despite what he described as positive developments there.
“As I often say, we are surrounded by a ring of fire. That is exactly the situation we face,” he said.
His remarks reflected Ankara’s concerns that conflicts across several neighbouring regions could widen and have consequences for Türkiye’s security and stability.
Türkiye vows to stay out of surrounding conflicts
Erdogan reiterated that his government would continue working to prevent Türkiye from being drawn into regional turmoil.
He presented the country’s avoidance of direct involvement in neighbouring conflicts as the result of a measured approach focused on resisting pressure and acting with patience and restraint.
With fighting and tensions continuing across the region, the president said Türkiye had so far succeeded in keeping itself out of the surrounding conflicts and would remain focused on protecting the country from their effects.
