Erdogan Warns Israel Against Undermining US-Iran Deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without the support of countries in the region, and called for Israel not to be allowed to thwart a peace agreement between the United States and Iran.

During a meeting with the Pakistani prime minister in Istanbul, Erdogan emphasized that no solution would be sustainable in the long term without the will and contribution of the region's states. Turkey, a NATO member and neighbor of Iran, has repeatedly accused Israel of attempting to undermine the agreement brokered by Pakistan. Ankara has also long criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

Erdogan also said the Turkish government wants to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in energy, transportation, critical minerals, information technology and the defense industry.

The two countries have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to $5bn. At a business forum in Istanbul, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar expressed the interest of Turkish companies in participating in energy projects in Pakistan.

(Reuters, Lud)