ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly rejected sectarian and ethnic divisions in the Muslim world, while warning that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran could engulf the wider region if it continues to escalate.
Speaking during his party’s parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday, Erdogan rejected sectarian divisions in the Muslim world, saying Turkiye does not categorise people based on sect or ethnicity.
He said Ankara has never segregated people of the region on the basis of sect or ethnic identity and will never do so.“We reject distinctions based on race, sect, religion, language, or origin,” Erdogan said.
“We do not have a religion called ‘Sunni Islam’ or ‘Shia Islam.’ We have only one religion, and that is Islam,” he added.
Erdogan called for an end to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran before it escalates and engulfs the region, stressing that a diplomatic solution remains “completely possible” if given a chance.
He said Turkiye is carefully monitoring developments and taking necessary precautions to protect itself from the conflicts unfolding around it, adding Ankara is also taking measures against what he described as “bloody scenarios being staged in our region, particularly sectarian strife,” warning that such divisions could further destabilise the Middle East.
Erdogan emphasised that Turkiye does not remain indifferent to crises affecting the region and does not abandon its friends and brothers in difficult times.
The Turkish president said Ankara is continuing efforts to bring parties back to negotiations, stressing that diplomacy remains the best path to defuse tensions.
