ANKARA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran's territorial integrity must not be questioned, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, warning against pursuing "regime change" in Iran.
"This war needs to stop as soon as possible. There should be no problem regarding Iran's territorial integrity, and goals such as regime change should not be pursued. The region must return to normal as soon as possible," Fidan said at a joint press conference with visiting German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in the capital Ankara.
"We agree that the war must stop immediately. Its impact on international markets and the region is already evident. The risk of escalation continues both geographically and in terms of its effects," he said.
Fidan warned that attempts were being made to raise "separatist scenarios" for Iran.
"We see that separatist scenarios are being brought to the agenda for Iran. We are firmly against any plan aimed at provoking civil war in Iran and fueling conflicts through ethnic or religious fault lines," he said.
He added that Türkiye is maintaining dialogue with both Iran and the United States as part of efforts to reduce tensions and end the conflict.
"The unprovoked attack carried out against Iran is as unlawful as Iran's unprovoked attacks against Gulf countries. We have conveyed this to our Iranian counterparts as well," Fidan said.
For his part, Wadephul said Germany believes diplomatic engagement remains the only viable path to resolving the crisis.
"A reliable and sustainable solution can only be achieved through diplomatic channels, and that is why I believe that we should pool our common interests from the Gulf region, but also here in the neighborhood," Wadephul said.
He added that the international community must work together to end the war while also considering a future regional security architecture. ■
