ANKARA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Monday denounced recent strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, calling them a violation of international law.
"The attack carried out by the U.S. and Israel against our neighbor Iran is unlawful, unjust, lacks legal legitimacy, and violates international law," AK Party spokesperson Omer Celik said in a statement following a meeting of the party's Central Decision-Making and Management Board.
Celik criticized the timing of the strikes, noting they occurred while nuclear negotiations were still ongoing, signaling a departure from diplomacy and dialogue.
"Such interventions against a UN member state have no legal basis," he added.
The statement echoed comments made late Saturday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said in Istanbul that the attacks violated Iran's sovereignty and threatened the safety of its people.
Erdogan expressed sorrow and concern over the escalation, while also reiterating that Iran's own attacks on Gulf countries were unacceptable.
Warning that the region risked being "dragged into a circle of fire" without restraint and diplomatic engagement, Erdogan called for urgent action to prevent further bloodshed. He added that Ankara would intensify diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and revive negotiations.
The United States and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran on Saturday morning, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran on Israel and U.S. assets in the Gulf region. ■
