Turkey says US strikes on Iran raise risk of wider conflict
A closer satellite view shows the ridge at Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS
ANKARA - U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have raised the risk of the regional conflict spreading globally, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Turkey, which shares a 560 km (348 miles) border with Iran, has condemned Israel's attacks as "state terrorism" and a violation of international law. It has urged parties to halt hostilities and offered to facilitate nuclear talks.
"The developments happening can take the regional conflict to a global level. We do not want this catastrophic scenario to be realised," the ministry said in a statement.
It said only negotiations could resolve the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington.
Later on Sunday, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Fahrettin Altun, the presidency's communications director, both warned of wider consequences if the sides do not de-escalate.
"Just like the process that started with the United States' interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan led to more radicalisation and terror in the world, the attack on Iran by the United States is of a nature that can create similar results," Altun said in a post on X.
"If the United States follows the network of (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu instead of preventing Israel's genocidal war policies and containing the uncontrollable drive of the out-of-control Netanyahu leadership, world peace will remain an elusive goal," he added.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has good personal ties with U.S. President Donald Trump and has spoken to him twice by phone since Israel attacked Iran. He has voiced support for Tehran and spoken to his Iranian counterpart twice as well, but has yet to comment on the overnight U.S. strikes. REUTERS
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