ANTALYA, Türkiye, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Sunday he is optimistic that the United States and Iran will extend their current ceasefire, as regional diplomacy continues following initial talks that failed to produce an agreement.
Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye, Fidan said Ankara is closely following the negotiations and believes both Washington and Tehran have shown willingness to pursue more serious talks after the first round in Islamabad ended without a deal.
"There should be no problem extending the ceasefire because it would buy time for diplomatic solutions," Fidan told reporters.
"Everybody is expressing their concerns to us about the restart of the war," he said. "No one wants to see the restart of the war, so both sides are expected to extend the ceasefire."
The Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8 and is due to expire around April 22. Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have urged both sides to use the pause to work toward a lasting settlement and avoid provocations, particularly from Israel.
Fidan has previously said an extension of 45 to 60 days could be possible if talks progress, describing both sides as "sincere" about maintaining the truce.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Saturday that Tehran remains "strongly committed to diplomacy" but "will never accept being treated as an exception to international law."
Speaking on the forum's sidelines, Khatibzadeh said no date has been set for the next round of U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad because both sides must first agree on a framework. "We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting that is doomed to fail," he said.
The next phase of talks is expected to focus on sustaining the ceasefire and broader regional de-escalation, including issues related to Iran's nuclear program and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Lebanon, Fidan accused Israel of seeking to create a "fait accompli" despite a ceasefire agreement, and denounced "Israeli expansionism."
"The ongoing Iran-United States negotiations seem to be overshadowing this situation (in Lebanon). Israel appears to be trying to take advantage of this distraction to create a fait accompli," he said.
On Saturday, Fidan said Israel was attempting to occupy new territories. ■
