Fidan launches regional tour to end Middle East war, slams 'illegal' assassinations
2026-03-17 - 22:49
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Tuesday he will embark on a regional diplomatic tour starting Wednesday aimed at finding a path to end the widening Middle East war. Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Fidan delivered sharp criticism of the conflict's trajectory while outlining Türkiye's peace efforts. 'Illegal acts' condemned Fidan described the political assassinations targeting Iranian officials and political figures as "illegal acts outside the normal laws of war" that must cease immediately. His comments come as the US-Israeli joint offensive against Iran, launched Feb. 28, has killed more than 1,200 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Turkish minister warned that US and Israeli attacks on Iran pose serious regional security risks, with the conflict now spreading to Lebanon and becoming increasingly complicated in Iraq. Türkiye's peace vision "Our goal is the same: a geography where everyone lives within their own borders in security and sovereignty, where Palestinians have their own state, and where Iran, Arabs, and all of us live in peace, stability and security," Fidan stated. He said the upcoming tour aims to convey messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and share Türkiye's assessments and proposals for achieving permanent regional peace. Fidan emphasized that sustained dialogue is essential to prevent further escalation and that Türkiye's efforts to remove what he called "the calamity of war hanging over the Islamic world" continue without interruption. Canada backs Türkiye's role Anand praised Türkiye's diplomatic engagement, stating: "Canada values Türkiye's role as an interlocutor in the current Middle East conflict, and my colleague, Minister Fidan, is playing a crucial role in this aspect." She reaffirmed that Canada has no intention of joining the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and emphasized that de-escalation and civilian protection are Ottawa's priorities. Anand announced $37.7 million in Canadian aid for Lebanon, where some 800,000 people have been displaced as Israeli ground operations intensify. Bilateral ties advance Beyond regional crisis management, Fidan and Anand discussed strengthening Türkiye-Canada relations across multiple fronts. Bilateral trade reached $2.7 billion in 2025 with expectations for further growth. Cooperation in nuclear energy and critical minerals featured prominently, with Anand noting that modular reactor designs could provide competitive advantages and that Canada looks forward to partnering with Türkiye in various critical minerals sectors. Preparations are underway for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's planned visit to Türkiye this year, which Fidan described as "a critical milestone that will give momentum to our cooperation."