ANKARA : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that peace efforts in the Middle East cannot succeed without strong regional backing and warned that Israel must not be allowed to “dynamite” the US-Iran peace deal. Speaking alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul, Erdogan said lasting solutions in the region must be rooted in the will and participation of neighbouring countries. “No solution that does not take strength from the will and contributions of regional countries can be lasting,” Erdogan said. Türkiye, a NATO member and Iran’s neighbour, has repeatedly accused Israel of attempting to undermine the US-Iran agreement mediated with Pakistan’s involvement. Ankara has also strongly criticised Israeli military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Erdogan said Turkey was closely monitoring what he described as Israeli efforts to derail the agreement. “The current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to drown our geography in the smell of gunpowder and blood again,” he said. The Turkish president also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Pakistan in energy, transport, critical minerals, information technology and defence. He said both countries aim to reach a bilateral trade target of $5 billion. Earlier on Saturday, officials from Pakistan and Türkiye attended a business forum in Istanbul focused on strengthening economic ties and investment opportunities. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkish companies were interested in participating in Pakistan’s energy sector as the country continues reforms in electricity production and distribution. He added that Türkiye is ready to share technical expertise to support Pakistan’s energy transition. The meeting underscored growing economic and strategic engagement between the two countries, alongside shared positions on regional security issues. Post navigation Khamenei: Sons attend funeral prayers as Iran mourns late supreme leader
