Erdoğan striving to reduce tensions between US, Iran

Turkey is going to great lengths to reduce tensions between the U.S. and Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Jan. 5 following the recent killing of a top Iranian commander in a U.S. drone strike in the Iraqi capital.

"Turkey always stands against foreign intervention and regards the recent U.S. attack in Baghdad with this same understanding," Erdoğan said in a televised interview. 

He added that despite all efforts and international initiatives, it has not been possible for U.S.-Iran tensions to be resolved.

"We had a conversation with [U.S. President Donald] Trump that evening, and 4-5 hours later, this broke out," said Erdoğan, referring to Soleimani's assassination.

"So the matter was planned. We were shocked to hear the news. I specifically advised him [Trump] not to increase tensions with Iran."

Erdoğan said Iran probably would not remain unresponsive to Soleimani's killing, adding the move would raise tensions in the region.

Soleimani was killed along with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the senior commander of Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi force, and eight others in the drone airstrike outside Baghdad's airport, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have been high since Trump decided in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw Washington from a 2015 nuclear pact that world powers struck with Tehran.

Erdoğan also said he will host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Jan. 8 and the two leaders will discuss the TurkStream natural gas pipeline as well as regional and other issues.

He said he hoped Turkey and Russia can help achieve a ceasefire in Idlib so there are no more civilian casualties. 

He added that Syria's Bashar al-Assad...