Turkey casts itself as 'adult in the room' amid global reordering, FM tells Oxford audience
Turkey is positioning itself as a key "middle power" and diplomatic broker in an unravelling global order, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a speech at the University of Oxford on Friday.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Global Orders Programme at the Oxford Centre for Global History, Fidan framed Ankara as uniquely placed to act as a mediator across multiple conflicts, including Gaza, Iran and Ukraine.
"States with deep strategic traditions fare better in this era of uncertainty," Fidan said, arguing that the growing prominence of middle powers reflects structural shifts in global politics.
Fidan highlighted the need for actors capable of sustaining diplomacy and preserving open channels of dialogue.
"We think our country is one of those states," he said.
"It is no coincidence that in many international circles today, Turkey is increasingly referred to as the adult in the room."
Commenting on reports that US President Donald Trump's administration was considering punitive measures against Nato allies that refused to support its war on Iran, including the possible expulsion of Spain from the alliance, Fidan said Turkey, a member, had not faced similar threats from Washington.
"I think we are in good coordination with the leadership of the US," he told Middle East Eye.
"Actually, two weeks ago, President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan called President Trump and congratulated him on his decision to say yes to a ceasefire and to engage with the talks."
He reiterated Ankara's view that military action against Iran was premature, saying "the talks would have yielded results".
"I respect the position of the European countries," he said, adding that Spain was "following a steady and stable line… asking for peace in Gaza, in Iran, in Russia. I think this is a position we also adopt".
Turkey is due to host the upcoming Nato summit in Ankara in July.
Behind-the-scenes diplomacy
Fidan was in the UK for a two-day visit in which he signed a "strategic partnership agreement" with London.
His comments come as a fragile ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran remains in place, though uncertainty persists as Iranians and Americans gather in Pakistan for talks this weekend.
US negotiators, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to travel to Islamabad on Saturday, though Iranian officials have indicated they do not intend to meet directly with their American counterparts, instead conveying their position through mediators.
The conflict, now in its ninth week, has killed thousands and disrupted global markets.
Iran's partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply flows, has driven energy prices sharply higher, with shipping traffic reduced to a fraction of pre-war levels.
While Trump has extended a temporary ceasefire, both sides remain far apart on core demands, despite signals from Washington that Tehran may present a new proposal.
Against this backdrop, Fidan emphasised Turkey's role as one of the mediators in the ongoing behind-the-scenes diplomacy between the US and Iran.
"I've been in constant communications with both sides, and with the Pakistani mediators… we are trying to help as much as we could whenever it is necessary," he said, adding that Ankara uses its access "to deliver messages back and forth and to convince both sides".
He maintained cautious optimism about the ceasefire process, noting that "both sides feel the pressure of the war" and suggesting this could push them towards a negotiated settlement.
At the same time, Fidan reiterated Ankara's long-standing approach to mediation, describing it as a core pillar of Turkish foreign policy.
"We do not seek to impose outcomes, but to create the conditions in which parties can reach their own," he said.
Asked about Ukraine, Fidan said the war is an increasingly sidelined conflict in global diplomacy despite its scale and human cost. He stressed that "the human tragedy… is huge, unbearable," while warning that global sensitivity to the conflict is diminishing.
He noted that Turkey remains engaged, having hosted talks between the sides and continued discussions with the US, adding that any eventual deal "will not be peace between them… it will be a peace between Europeans and the Russians."
However, he argued that the war’s geopolitical impact has been overshadowed by the Iran conflict. "In one month… it was far more than the negative impact of Russia and Ukraine war in five years," he said, adding that this has made resolving Ukraine "less relevant" in the eyes of some international actors.
Fidan suggested the war’s relatively contained geography and stabilised economic impact, particularly Europe’s reduced dependence on Russian energy, have allowed it to persist. Still, he said he expected the US to "go back to and focus again on Ukraine" once progress is made on Iran.
Mine clearance
The Islamabad talks come after Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on 8 April, which was unilaterally extended by Trump on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Fidan said that progress in the talks could lead to improvement in tensions around the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Fidan outlined two scenarios for the chokepoint, the first involved a negotiated return to the previous status quo, with free maritime passage and no restrictions or additional costs.
"The second scenario is that if negotiations fail to produce results, the war continues, or other problems arise, the issue becomes how to address the problematic areas in the Strait of Hormuz... There are aspects that align with our foreign policy and aspects that do not. Our President is clear on this matter," he added.
Fidan signalled that Ankara would consider participating in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a potential Iran-US agreement. He said such efforts would likely be carried out by a multinational technical team formed after a peace deal, adding that Turkey viewed participation positively in principle as a humanitarian duty.
"If Iran and the Americans reach an agreement and peace is achieved, a coalition could carry out technical work there, including mine clearance," he said.
He stressed, however, that Turkey would reassess its position if any such coalition became drawn into renewed conflict.
"Our sensitivities are clear," the minister said. "If there is a situation where we are seen as part of a conflict again, our position would be different."
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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