ISTANBUL
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Middle East needs its own security arrangements built on mutual trust rather than deterrence, stressing lasting stability can only be achieved through inclusive regional cooperation without domination by any single power.
In an interview with Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar Atas aired on Thursday, Fidan said that the main issue of cooperation in security among Gulf countries is “the lack of trust between states” in the region.
He said the region needs its own security arrangements, stressing that the priority should be “creating the fundamental and ultimate trust” among regional states rather than focusing first on deterrence. Trust, he argued, is the real foundation of security and stability.
He said the lack of trust between nation states remains the core problem in the region, and increasing mutual confidence would help bring peace without domination by any single power. Drawing a parallel with the European Union, Fidan said regional countries could also come together responsibly.
Responding to a question about a Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defense pact and Türkiye’s possible participation, Fidan said: "Any pact in the region should be more inclusive," adding that broader regional cooperation could follow if built on these principles.
“No domination, no Turkish domination, no Arab domination, no Farsi domination, no other domination. The regional countries are coming together, acting responsibly,” Fidan said.
Emphasizing inclusivity, he said: “We don’t want to create another camp. We want to create a regional solidarity platform.”
“We need regional cooperation and the establishment of a regional security architecture. If we are to fight anyone, it should be terrorists,” the minister stressed.
He added that reliance on external hegemons has repeatedly failed, leaving behind instability and high costs, and argued that regional ownership, institutionalization, and shared platforms are necessary so countries no longer “outsource” their security.
Türkiye doing its best to facilitate the ceasefire process in Syria
As for Syria, the Turkish foreign minister said: “The ceasefire is holding and it is allowing American forces to transfer ISIS (Daesh) prisoners from Syria to Iraq. This is a significant development and everybody should help.”
He added that Türkiye is doing its best to facilitate the process together with the US, stressing that coordination among relevant parties is crucial to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire.
Fidan said the understanding reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is important in principle, noting that Türkiye supports agreements that contribute to stability, provided its national security concerns are respected.
“Whatever understanding the parties reach, we support it because as long as they agree on certain principles, it is worth supporting,” Fidan said.
He said that despite Ankara having its own concerns and red lines regarding Turkish national security interests, “when the Damascus government engages in an agreement with the SDF, these are usually observed.”
Fidan said the SDF/YPG terror group is essentially an extension of the PKK in Syria, and that the terror organization has four branches in four countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Türkiye.
“In Syria, what we want is this: we value Syrian Kurds and they should be treated fairly. But the PKK has recruited and mobilized many people and deployed them in Syria together with the SDF. These are non-Syrians whose sole objective is to hurt Turkish national security interests, and we want this to end,” Fidan stressed.
He said it is little known internationally that, beyond Kurdish PKK elements, Turkish leftist groups are also sheltered in SDF-controlled areas of Syria, with around 300 armed members “looking for opportunities to attack Turkish military and security forces.” Ankara, he added, knows who they are and wants this situation to end.
The rest should be dealt with under the principles of a sovereign and unitary state, the minister stressed.
“In any sovereign and unitary state, you would not want two armies. There has to be one single army under one authority,” Fidan said, noting that police forces and other matters can be arranged between Damascus and the SDF. “We do not want to micromanage.”
Responding to a question on Syria being a point of tension between the US and Türkiye in the past, Fidan stressed that what US President Donald Trump is trying to do in foreign policy makes a difference, emphasizing his efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“When it comes to Syria, our perspectives largely overlap. The Trump administration wants the new Syrian administration to take responsibility and act as a responsible member of the international community,” Fidan said.
“Damascus is responding quite well to the demands of regional and international actors,” he added.
“For the past 14 years, the world has faced two major consequences of the Syrian conflict: mass migration and terrorism,” he said, noting that millions of Syrians were forced to flee their homes.
He added that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington and his signing of the charter to include the new government in the international coalition against ISIS (Daesh) was a meaningful step. While acknowledging occasional disagreements among the US, Damascus, and the SDF, Fidan said extensive talks are ongoing to resolve the issues smoothly.
Gaza peace efforts and mediation
Coming to Palestine, Fidan said the Gaza peace plan was introduced as part of ongoing efforts to address the crisis in the enclave, building on a process that began in September last year in New York when eight Muslim country leaders met Trump to seek ways to halt the genocide.
“We believe the board of peace is a platform where we can advance the Gaza agenda,” he said, noting that the initiative has since moved forward through sustained consultations, institution-building, and agreements.
He stressed that Ankara's present position is to do whatever is possible to contribute to the ongoing peace process in Gaza, whether in humanitarian, military, or political form.
Fidan said Türkiye has made it clear it would not resume trade with Israel while the war continues and humanitarian aid is prevented from entering Gaza, underscoring Ankara’s firm stance on the issue.
"Our problem is not with Israel; our problem is with Israeli policies in the region, especially toward the Palestinians, and, most recently, the genocide in Gaza," Fidan said.
Responding to a question on how future agreements would be enforced if Hamas is fully disarmed in the deal's second phase, he said the group has never served as a military deterrent to Israel due to the imbalance of power, with Israel backed by the US.
He said Hamas could maintain local security in Gaza but was never a deterrent, and that “one proposal is the creation of an international stabilization force. If implemented, it could help ensure security for both sides and prevent violations of agreements.”
On Türkiye’s possible participation in an international force for Gaza, he said the issue would depend on comprehensive negotiations, noting that the country is part of the Board of Peace and the Gaza national committee.
He added that Ankara, alongside Egypt, Qatar, and the US is a core member of the mediation group. “If asked, we are ready to contribute military units.”
Iran tensions, Ukraine peace hopes and NATO’s future
On a possible Israeli attack to Iran, Fidan said Tel Aviv mainly aims to weaken Tehran’s critical military capabilities, and doubted if they could achieve a regime change.
“It's wrong. It's wrong to attack on Iran. It's wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again. My advice always to the American friends" is to resolve issues step by step, starting with the nuclear issues.
He urged Iran to find ways to cooperate with different ideologies and systems in the country.
On a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, Fidan expressed his hope that the agreement is “closer than ever,” and also touched upon Türkiye’s mediator role between the two parties.
“Any peace agreement will involve not only Russia and Ukraine, but also Europe and the US,” he said.
Pointing out NATO’s future, Fidan urged Europe to improve its defense capacity, though the alliance “remains the primary security framework.”
He said major European countries, including the UK and Türkiye, should discuss a new security architecture and create their own “center of gravity” instead of relying indefinitely on external powers.
