Turkey enters as mediator — FM Fidan says Ankara engaging all parties to end war and return to negotiations

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Tuesday that Turkey is actively engaging with all parties to the conflict to find a path toward ending the war in Iran and returning to negotiations. 'Turkey is engaging with all parties to find a way to end the war in Iran and return to negotiations,' Fidan said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan echoed the statement at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner in Ankara, saying Turkey would 'intensify its contacts at all levels until a ceasefire was reached and calm achieved in the region,' adding that continuation of the conflict carried serious risks for the entire region. Turkey is uniquely positioned as a NATO member with historically close relations with both Iran and the United States — and as a country sharing a 560-kilometer border with Iran now experiencing a surge of refugees. Hundreds of Iranians have already crossed the northwestern border to Turkey. Turkey and Iran mutually suspended operations at three border gates on March 2 as the volume overwhelmed crossing capacity. Turkish authorities had made contingency plans before the conflict began, including establishing refugee camps and deploying forces into border areas to manage potential mass migration. Turkey also serves as a potential back-channel between Washington and Tehran.