Türkiye Has Stayed Out of Regional Conflicts Through Restraint and Caution

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country has so far avoided being pulled into the conflicts around it, crediting a strategy of resisting provocation, sidestepping political traps and acting with caution as instability spreads across the Middle East.

Speaking at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on Monday, Erdogan said Türkiye had kept itself clear of the crises on its borders. "We did not yield to provocations," he said, adding that the country had neither fallen into traps nor been dragged into confrontation.

He praised his government for handling the regional upheaval with patience, intelligence work and sound judgment, and said officials were working around the clock to shield Türkiye from the fallout.

A "ring of fire"
Erdogan listed several flashpoints. He said the Russia-Ukraine war, to Türkiye's north, will enter its fifth year in a few months. He also said Israel's offensive against Palestinians continues to undermine security despite signed agreements, and that tension around neighbouring Iran has not subsided, even as fresh fighting erupted in Yemen.

He said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have deepened the instability. Calling Saudi Arabia a friendly and brotherly country, he cited an attack on Riyadh's airport that he said killed several people, including Muslims performing Umrah, and wounded hundreds.

Erdogan also described the situation in Lebanon as a continuing source of concern. He accused Israel of trying to destabilize Syria despite what he called positive developments there. "We are surrounded by a ring of fire," he said, a phrase he noted he uses often.

Ankara's line
His remarks reflect Ankara's worry that conflicts in several neighbouring areas could widen and threaten Türkiye's own security and stability.

Erdogan said his government would keep working to prevent Türkiye from being drawn in, and that its success so far came from resisting pressure, showing patience and exercising self-restraint.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), [email protected] +233555275880

Source: TRT Afrika (Hausa). The accounts of the Riyadh airport attack and of Israeli actions are Erdogan's own claims as reported by TRT Afrika.