Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has outlined a vision for a new regional security architecture spanning from Pakistan to the Persian Gulf, and Israel could eventually take its place within it, on the condition that it recognizes a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.
Axar.az reports that, speaking in an interview with Japan's Nikkei Asia newspaper, cited by Turkiye Today, Fidan described what he called a "golden opportunity" for states across the Middle East to build a cooperative framework rooted in mutual recognition.
"All the countries in the region should be committing to each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security," he said.
The proposed platform, as Fidan sketched it, would anchor Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Gulf states, with room for expansion. "When things return to normal, maybe Iran should also be part of it," he said.
As for Israel: "If that problem is solved, I think the security of Israel will be very much assisted by the regional countries, too."
Turkiye is supporting Pakistan's mediation between Washington and Tehran, working alongside Qatar to facilitate talks. Fidan offered one of the more optimistic assessments of the negotiations heard from a senior regional diplomat.
"Both sides want to reach a positive conclusion. An agreement is closer than ever," he said.
With a ceasefire in place, the focal point has shifted to the Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure since late February has sent energy prices higher globally. Fidan said the parties had outlined a sequencing in which a final agreement on reopening the strait would open the door to nuclear talks.
The Hormuz blockade, he said, was "putting too much pressure on both" Washington and Tehran.
"The international impact, including on energy security, food security, and rising prices, is immense," he said, adding, "This has become a situation that takes priority over the nuclear files."