Turkish president welcomes reports of Israel-Iran ceasefire, urges respect for truce

ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - JUNE 24: The Turkish president on Tuesday welcomed reports of an Israel-Iran ceasefire deal, calling on both sides to fully observe the truce.“Türkiye will resolutely maintain its principled stance that upholds international law and prioritizes diplomacy,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the airport in Ankara ahead of his Netherlands visit for the NATO summit, referring to the Israel-Iran conflict.“Israel’s 'reckless actions -- starting with Palestine and extending to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and ultimately Iran -- are absolutely unacceptable,” said the Turkish president.Erdogan underlined that the region cannot bear the burden of an Israel-Iran war, and urged giving diplomacy a chance to prevent further escalation.He also said a permanent ceasefire must be established in Gaza as soon as possible, Israel's attacks should stop, and humanitarian aid should be allowed without interruption."Global actors must take effective steps to put an end to this madness, or it won’t be just our region but the entire world that pays a price," said Erdogan on the Mideast conflict.Meanwhile, at NATO, Türkiye advocates for fair burden-sharing and strengthening of European security, he noted.(Footage by Hüseyin Bardakcı/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)