Hakan Fidan: Safe and uninterrupted passage must be ensured in the Strait of Hormuz
Safe, uninterrupted and free passage must be ensured in the Strait of Hormuz, and it is necessary to return to the prewar status quo as soon as possible.
As 1news.az reports, this was stated by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at a joint briefing with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku.
According to Fidan, it is necessary to immediately halt actions that increase tension in the region and cause it serious damage: "We continue to maintain uninterrupted contacts with all interested parties in order to settle the crisis and ensure peace and security in the region."
The minister noted that the meeting also discussed the Russian-Ukrainian war and its consequences for the region: "The clashes are continuing without interruption, the number of civilian casualties and the scale of destruction are growing every day"
"As is known, the tension caused by the war is also having a serious impact on the Black Sea basin," Hakan Fidan said.
He emphasized that from the first days of the war, significant efforts have been made to keep the Black Sea outside the combat zone. "Thanks to our strict application of the Montreux Convention on the Straits and the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, we have largely managed to achieve this goal. However, the attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea that have become more frequent in recent months are causing serious damage to the safety of people, property, shipping and the environment in the region," the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated.
According to him, Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors also died as a result of these attacks.
"As a result of these attacks, both Turkish and Azerbaijani sailors have died. It is unacceptable for the war to spread to the Black Sea as well, threatening the lives of our citizens and the activities of our companies," Hakan Fidan said.
The minister noted that the necessary warnings are being given to the parties in connection with this issue.
"We believe that with the necessary political will and a good-faith approach, it is possible to create a basis for reaching an agreement on this issue. Recently we have further intensified our efforts in this direction. We hope that we will see the results of our initiatives aimed at reaching an agreement," he stated.
Hakan Fidan also recalled the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "As our president has emphasized from the very beginning, even the worst peace is better than war. Turkey will continue to make every effort for the sake of peace."
Hakan Fidan also touched upon the contribution of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations to regional stability.
"I sincerely believe that our brotherhood with Azerbaijan will continue to contribute to the stability of the Turkic world, the South Caucasus and the wider region," he said.
G. Aghayev
