Turkey says Israel leading Middle East to 'total disaster'

Turkey says Israel leading Middle East to 'total disaster'
Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks with Turkey foreign minister Hakan Fidan (L) ahead the family photo during the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, on June 21, 2025 (AFP photo)

Iran FM arrives in Istanbul for OIC meeting — media


ISTANBUL — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday accused Israel of leading the Middle East towards "total disaster" by attacking Iran on June 13.

"Israel is now leading the region to the brink of total disaster by attacking Iran, our neighbour," he told a summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

"There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly an Israeli problem," Fidan said.

He called for an end to the "unlimited aggression" against Iran.

"We must prevent the situation from deteriorating into a spiral of violence that would further jeopardise regional and global security," he added.

Speaking after Fidan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Western leaders of providing "unconditional support" to Israel.

He said Turkey would not allow borders in the Middle East to be redrawn "in blood".

"It is vital for us to show more solidarity to end Israel's banditry -- not only in Palestine but also in Syria, in Lebanon and in Iran," he told the OIC's 57 member countries.

The OIC, founded in 1969, says its mission is to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".

Iran's foreign minister arrived in Istanbul Saturday for a meeting of the OIC, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, which was to discuss Tehran's escalating conflict with Israel.

Around 40 diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering of the OIC as Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile strikes.

"The foreign minister arrived in Istanbul this morning to participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers' meeting," Tasnim said.

It comes after Araghchi met with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday.

"At this meeting, at the suggestion of Iran, the issue of the Zionist regime's attack on our country will be specifically addressed," Araghchi said, according to the news agency.

Israel began its assault in the early hours of June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, triggering an immediate retaliation from Tehran in the worst-ever confrontation between the two arch-rivals.

On Friday, Araghchi said Tehran was ready to "consider diplomacy" again only if Israel's "aggression is stopped".

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