Fidan, Barrot discuss regional de-escalation in phone call amid Iran tensions

2026-03-02 - 12:32

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a telephone conversation Monday with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to address escalating regional tensions following recent military strikes, Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed. The two top diplomats exchanged views on ways to decrease tensions in the region and discussed concrete steps that could be taken to end ongoing attacks. Diplomatic Outreach The call with Barrot was part of a broader diplomatic engagement by Fidan, who earlier spoke with his Azerbaijani and Bulgarian counterparts. Ankara's diplomatic activism reflects Türkiye's concern over rapidly deteriorating security conditions across the Middle East and Gulf region. The discussions underscore Türkiye's interest in preventing further escalation that could destabilize neighboring regions and impact international security. Regional Crisis Context The diplomatic contacts come amid intensifying military conflict following Saturday's US-Israeli attack on Iran, which killed several senior Iranian leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military assets and bases. Türkiye has maintained communication channels with multiple parties to the conflict while advocating for restraint and diplomatic resolution.