Turkey on Sunday called on all parties to refrain from further escalation that could spiral into a regional war, after Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel sent Middle East tensions soaring, Agence France-Presse reported.
Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on Israeli territory late Saturday in retaliation for a deadly strike by Israeli forces on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.
“Today we are sending our message calling for an end to the escalation, to Iranian officials and to Western countries that have influence over Israel,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Israel’s attack against the Iranian embassy in Damascus, contrary to international law, provoked our concern. The Iranian reprisal … showed yet again that events can quickly transform into a regional war,” it said.
A diplomatic source earlier said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, that Turkey, which shares a border with Iran, wanted to avoid “a new escalation in the region.”
A senior Turkish official told AFP that US intelligence chief Bill Burns had asked Turkish counterpart İbrahim Kalın to mediate with Tehran this week.