Turkey announced on Thursday its opposition to any military operation against Iran, following statements from US President Donald Trump concerning potential intervention amid the ongoing protests in the country.
“We’re against a military operation against Iran. We believe the authentic problems of Iran should be resolved by themselves,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated to journalists in Istanbul.
Fidan suggested that Iran’s economic grievances were being “misunderstood as an uprising against” the Islamic republic.
The statement comes as widespread protests continue across Iran. Rights groups report that at least 3,428 people have been killed in the government’s response to the demonstrations. The Iranian government is concurrently managing an economic crisis exacerbated by years of sanctions and the aftermath of the June war with Israel.
The Turkish Foreign Minister emphasized a diplomatic approach to the crisis.
“We absolutely want problems to be resolved through dialogue,” he said. “Hopefully, the United States and Iran will resolve this issue among themselves—whether through mediators, other actors, or direct dialogue. We are closely following these developments.”
