ISTANBUL, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The negotiation process between the United States and Iran is "alive and not broken," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday, stressing that the "ground remains open to dialogue and diplomacy" to ease tensions.
Speaking to journalists aboard his flight back from visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Erdogan said he sees both sides willing to leave room for diplomacy, calling it a positive development.
The way to resolve problems is not through conflict, but through reconciliation and negotiation, he noted, adding that Türkiye will work to strengthen the basis for negotiations through both leader-to-leader diplomacy and talks at other levels.
"We will see how much this ground expands and whether other countries will become involved," he added.
Erdogan's remarks came ahead of an expected U.S.-Iran meeting in Oman's Muscat on Friday.
Washington has recently signaled that military options remain possible should diplomatic efforts with Tehran fail, alongside reports of expanded U.S. naval deployments in the Middle East, while Iranian officials have warned that any U.S. strike could spark a broader regional conflict. ■
