Türkiye determined to be 'outside the ring of fire': Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye was determined to keep the country “outside the ring of fire” created by the escalating confrontation involving Israel and Iran, warning that the conflict risked turning into a prolonged war of attrition across the region.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said Türkiye was carefully managing the situation through what he described as a measured and cautious approach guided by “state wisdom”.

“We are determined to keep our country outside the ring of fire,” Erdogan said, stressing that Ankara did not want the war to evolve into a broader confrontation among regional states.

He added that Türkiye had emerged as one of the countries that had correctly assessed the unfolding crisis and was acting responsibly in a volatile geopolitical environment.

“Türkiye is among the leading countries praised for correctly reading the process that has filled our region with the smell of blood and gunpowder,” he said.

Erdogan also emphasised that Ankara would not fall into what he described as traps aimed at dragging the country into the conflict.

“We are not falling into the traps that some want to drag us into,” he said, adding that the government was managing the situation cautiously and calmly while respecting the principles of neighbourly relations and regional solidarity.

The Turkish president sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the Israeli leadership of fuelling instability and undermining regional peace.

“The massacre network led by Netanyahu must be stopped immediately for the sake of regional peace and humanity,” Erdogan said, calling on countries around the world to adopt what he described as a courageous and proactive stance.

He warned that although the war was primarily Israel’s conflict, its consequences were being felt globally.

“The last 25 days have shown that while this is Israel’s war, the price is being paid by the entire world,” Erdogan said. “It is Netanyahu’s war for political survival, but the burden is carried by eight billion people.”

Erdogan also highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil trade passes.

He warned that disruptions to shipping in the strait had already triggered serious turbulence in the global economy.

“The closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global energy trade passes, has caused serious turbulence in the global economy,” he said.

Erdogan called for the immediate end of what he described as an unlawful war before irreversible damage was inflicted on the global economic system.

“The war must end before damage is inflicted on the global economy that could take years to repair,” he said, urging the rapid reopening of dialogue channels and the launch of meaningful negotiations.

He also warned against allowing Israel’s stance to obstruct diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.

“Israel’s uncompromising, maximalist and radical attitude must not be allowed to sabotage diplomatic solutions,” he said.

Despite the growing tensions, Erdogan said Türkiye would continue to work for peace and stability using all available diplomatic and political tools.

“Türkiye will continue to work with all its strength and all the means at its disposal to establish peace, justice and stability,” he said.

The Turkish president also addressed the economic consequences of the crisis, particularly the sharp rise in oil prices.

He said the government was implementing measures to protect Turkish citizens from the global economic shock caused by the conflict.

“To shield our citizens from this process, which is negatively affecting the world, we are activating measures such as the fuel equalisation mechanism,” he said, referring to policies designed to limit the domestic impact of fuel price increases.

Erdogan added that Türkiye’s economy was currently resilient enough to withstand external shocks.

“In the face of such unexpected shocks, the resilience threshold of the Turkish economy is now at the highest level in its history,” he said.

“There should be no doubt about that.”