Turkey FM Fidan: Ankara conveying 'friendly advice' to Iran not to spread war — Israel 'main perpetrator'

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey is conveying 'friendly advice' to Iran not to spread the war further, while simultaneously characterising Israel as the 'main perpetrator' of the conflict. The dual framing — criticising Israel while urging Iranian de-escalation — reflects Turkey's balancing act as a NATO member with close economic and diplomatic ties to Iran. Turkey's back-channel advisory role to Iran is significant: Ankara has functional diplomatic relations with Tehran, is a member of NATO, and has leverage with both sides. Fidan's public statement signals that these back-channel communications are ongoing, and that Turkey is actively working to prevent Iranian escalation to a wider regional war. This aligns with Araghchi's earlier statement that Iran received 'de-escalation requests' from unnamed parties — Turkey may be one of those parties.