Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a stark warning against a full-scale war between Israel and Iran, cautioning that such a conflict could unleash a humanitarian disaster and fuel instability across the Middle East. In a series of urgent diplomatic calls with regional leaders, Erdogan stressed the grave risk of a “devastating war” triggering mass displacement and worsening existing crises in neighboring countries.

According to a statement released by the Turkish presidency, Erdogan spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the hours following the unprecedented escalation between Israel and Iran.

The Israeli military launched a massive barrage of missiles into Iranian territory on June 13, killing dozens, including senior military officers and nuclear scientists. Tehran responded swiftly with retaliatory drone and missile strikes against Israeli cities, killing three and injuring more than 70. The tit-for-tat strikes mark one of the most dangerous escalations between the two regional powers in decades, raising alarms across global capitals.

In his call with President Pezeshkian, Erdogan accused Israel of deliberately provoking a regional firestorm. “Israel is seeking to drag the whole region into the fire,” Erdogan said, emphasizing the need for restraint and diplomacy. He reiterated Turkey’s opposition to further militarization of the conflict and called for immediate de-escalation.

Speaking with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdogan highlighted the broader humanitarian risks of such a conflict. “Our region cannot tolerate another crisis,” he warned. “A devastating war could create waves of irregular migration towards all the countries in the region.”

Turkey already shoulders the burden of hosting millions of Syrian refugees and has experienced a growing influx of Iranian dissidents in recent years. Rising anti-immigrant sentiment and economic strain have made the issue politically sensitive within Turkey, adding urgency to Erdogan’s regional outreach.

The Turkish president also condemned what he described as the international community’s failure to address Israeli aggression, linking the latest events to the long-standing issue of the occupation of Palestine. “The fact that the international community has closed its eyes to the occupation and genocide in Palestine has led Israel to this level of flouting the law and its aggression,” Erdogan stated.

He urged all sides to return to diplomacy, particularly on the contentious issue of Iran’s nuclear program, insisting that it “can only be resolved through negotiations.”

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed Erdogan’s concerns after their discussion, posting on social media that Israel’s “unprovoked aggression against Iran” was a flagrant violation of international law and a serious threat to regional peace.

As the region teeters on the edge of another prolonged conflict, Erdogan’s remarks reflect growing anxiety among Middle Eastern leaders. While Turkey has at times maintained complex and often contradictory relationships with both Israel and Iran, the current crisis appears to be uniting regional powers around the urgent need to prevent further escalation.

With the prospect of a multi-front war, international diplomacy is now under severe pressure to intervene – before the Middle East descends into yet another devastating conflict.