Turkiye's Erdogan says Israel must not scupper US-Iran deal

Turkiye's Erdogan says Israel must not scupper US-Iran deal
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Summary Turkiye, a NATO member and Iran's neighbour, has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the US-Iran deal mediated by Pakistan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Middle East peace efforts could not succeed without regional backing and that Israel must not be allowed to "dynamite" the US-Iran peace deal.

Speaking alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul, Erdogan said: "No solution that does not take strength from ⁠the will and contributions of regional countries can be lasting."

Turkiye, a NATO member and Iran's neighbour, has repeatedly accused Israel of trying to undermine the US-Iran deal mediated by Pakistan, and has condemned Israeli operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.

"We are closely following the Israeli administration's attempts to dynamite the (US-Iran) deal... The current war-addicted Israeli ⁠government must not be allowed to drown our geography in the smell of gunpowder and blood again," Erdogan said.

Erdogan also said Turkiye aimed to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in ⁠energy, transport, critical minerals, information technology and defence, while pursuing a bilateral trade target of $5 billion.

Earlier on Saturday, officials from ⁠both countries attended a business forum in Istanbul.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkish firms wanted ⁠to contribute to projects in Pakistan and share Turkiye's energy-sector expertise as Pakistan undergoes a transformation of its electricity sector.