No more waiting! Turkey has proactively called us!
Facing the complex current situation, on March 25, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, at Turkey's request. Clearly, "at Turkey's request" means that the call was initiated by Turkey, indicating Turkey's strong desire to engage in direct dialogue with us.
What did both sides mainly discuss?
First, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the right and wrong of the Middle East conflict are very clear, and the international community should uphold an objective and fair stance. In response, Foreign Minister Fidan affirmed that Turkey shares a highly consistent position with China regarding the current situation in the Middle East.
Evidently, from the outset, China and Turkey have reached high-level consensus on fundamental issues.
Second, Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that the urgent priority is actively promoting peace efforts and facilitating dialogue, seizing opportunities for peace to help bring an end to the hostilities. Turkey responded by stating its willingness to work together with China to advance ceasefire and stop the war.
Third, Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for Turkey’s constructive role in advancing the resumption of negotiations. Turkey, in turn, affirmed that China has consistently been committed to maintaining regional and global peace, and believes China will continue to play a significant role.
Evidently, this phone call from Turkey primarily aimed at discussing how to de-escalate the tense situation, seeking alignment of positions with China and inviting China to join in peace mediation efforts. Indeed, Turkey is currently leading the Turkey-Egypt-Bahrain mediation group, aiming to become the key mediator in the region—but it lacks major power endorsement and UN-level backing. By cooperating with China through such calls, Turkey can elevate its own international standing. Furthermore, Turkey seeks to position itself as a hub between Europe and Asia and a balancekeeper in the Middle East, avoiding full alignment with either the U.S. or Russia.
In Turkey’s view, China is the only country capable of influencing the U.S., Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel—making China the ideal balancing partner for Turkey. Therefore, Turkey clearly recognizes China’s importance. From our perspective, we welcome Turkey’s initiative to ease tensions. We also hope Turkey will cooperate in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor project, thereby connecting land routes between Europe and Asia. It is evident that China and Turkey share aligned positions on the Iran issue and have room for cooperation in economic and trade areas. Turkey’s proactive outreach underscores the high importance it places on relations with China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860686984881226/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.