Türkiye will continue to uphold hopes for peace, Duran says

Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said on Thursday that Türkiye will continue to uphold hopes for peace, highlighting its active role in promoting stability across conflict-affected regions. "Under the leadership of our President, our country is putting not only its hand but its whole body on the line to ensure peace and stability in our region," Duran said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Voice of truth

He stressed that as the world faces a major systemic crisis, Türkiye has become "the voice of truth" across a wide geography, from Gaza to Ukraine and from the Caucasus to Iran. The comments come as the US-Israeli war with Iran enters its fifth week, with Türkiye maintaining intensive diplomatic engagement to mediate an end to the conflict.

Turkish mediation efforts

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan have held numerous calls with regional and global leaders since the war began Feb. 28, advocating for de-escalation and a return to dialogue. Türkiye has maintained communication channels with all parties while opposing both US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliation against neighboring countries.

Regional context

The US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,340 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. The conflict has expanded to Lebanon, where over 1,200 have been killed since March 2, and the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.