The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Turkey is conducting intensive
diplomatic efforts to discourage Gulf Arab states from joining a potential
US-Israeli war against Iran, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with
the matter.
Ankara has urged regional countries to exercise restraint as
tensions continue to rise in the Middle East. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan
Fidan has recently visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar,
and held talks with other regional counterparts as part of ongoing diplomatic
efforts.
According to Bloomberg, Gulf powers such as Saudi Arabia and
the United Arab Emirates are increasingly frustrated with Iranian attacks that
have reportedly struck ports, energy facilities, and airports.
However, the countries would only consider entering the
conflict if Iran carries out its threats to target critical Gulf
infrastructure, including water and electricity facilities, a high threshold
that officials say remains unlikely at this stage.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned after a
cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the conflict must not expand into a broader
regional war of attrition. “We do not want the war to turn into a war of
attrition among countries in the region,” he said. “Retaliatory actions,
especially against countries in the Gulf, carry such a risk.”