Erdoğan, Malaysia's Anwar discuss Iran conflict, bilateral ties in phone call

2026-03-05 - 19:42

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone Thursday with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, discussing bilateral relations and regional developments amid the escalating conflict in Iran, Türkiye's Communications Directorate announced. Erdoğan emphasized that cooperation between Ankara and Kuala Lumpur is progressing at an excellent level across all sectors, with ongoing efforts to further strengthen ties between the two nations. Concerns Over Regional Instability The Turkish president expressed that Ankara is closely monitoring the conflict environment that began in Iran and has subsequently spread across the region. Erdoğan warned that a prolonged confrontation could generate increasingly difficult challenges for regional stability and security. His remarks come as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, launched Saturday, has now killed more than 900 people including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Tehran retaliating against Israel and Gulf states hosting US assets. Commitment to Diplomatic Engagement Erdoğan affirmed that Türkiye is actively working to re-engage diplomatic channels and will maintain peace-focused contacts with regional leaders. The call with Malaysia's premier forms part of Ankara's broader diplomatic outreach amid the widening crisis, following similar conversations with counterparts from Pakistan, France, Germany, the UK, Azerbaijan, and Bulgaria in recent days.