ANKARA, Aug 18 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call to pursue talks with Iran to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, and offered Ankara’s support for peace efforts, the Turkish presidency said on Tuesday.
Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and borders Iran, has repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has maintained close contact with the United States, Iran, and mediators such as Pakistan and Qatar, while also acting as an intermediary between the parties.
“Erdogan stated that it is of great importance to make the utmost of diplomacy regarding the tensions between Iran and the United States, that we hope the talks will continue, and that Turkey will continue to support peace efforts,” the presidency said in a statement.
The call comes after a senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier on Monday that Iran would shift to a “fully offensive” military posture because efforts to negotiate a permanent end to the war have stalled, as Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.
Progress towards a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has also stalled.
Turkey has criticised the U.S. and Israeli assault on Iran, while also condemning the Iranian attacks on Gulf states and calling for the re-opening of the strategic strait.
On Monday, Turkey’s foreign minister discussed the strait’s re-opening and the continuation of the ceasefire with his Iranian counterpart.
The presidency added that Erdogan and Trump also discussed bilateral ties, the war in Gaza, and a defence pact signed between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, adding that the Turkish leader praised the accord as a sign of a “strong stance” for regional stability and security.
It said Erdogan told Trump that Israel’s attacks on Palestinians had increased at a time when the second phase of Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan was supposed to come into effect.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
