Turkey in diplomatic efforts to defuse tension over US-Iran row

Turkey has joined an international diplomatic campaign to defuse tension between the United States and Iran after the assassination of the latter's top military figure with calls on all related parties to act with restraint and common sense to avoid a larger conflict in an already unstable Middle East.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held phone conversations with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani and Iraqi President Barham Salih over the weekend as Tehran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. for the killing of Iran's military chief Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Erdoğan also had a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron late on Jan. 3 in which recent regional developments in the Middle East and Libya came to the forefront.

In talks with Rouhani and Salih, the leaders discussed the latest developments in the region as well as bilateral relations, sources said on the condition of anonymity. Erdoğan and Salih emphasized that regional and international cooperation is needed to resolve crises in the region.

The two presidents also agreed that the fight against terrorism and radical ideology would help stabilize the region through cooperation between the countries.

According to the sources, Erdoğan told Salih that Turkey "did not allow Iraq to become a field of regional and international conflicts."

With concerns that the killing of Soleimani would trigger new tensions and conflicts in the region, Turkey has urged all the related parties to avoid actions that could further destabilize the region through an armed conflict.

Need to de-escalate tension

"Turkey once again calls on all parties to act with common sense and avoid steps that will further...