Turkey seeks off-ramp to war through US-Iran negotiations

Turkey seeks off-ramp to war through US-Iran negotiations Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Mon, 03/23/2026 - 13:00 Ankara is trying to engage a set of European and Arab actors to counterbalance Israeli influence over Trump about ending the war A plume of smoke rises from the site of a strike on the Iranian capital Tehran on 16 March 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) Off Turkey is seeking an off-ramp to the war on Iran , engaging both the US and the Islamic Republic in an effort to initiate negotiations on a potential deal, sources familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of phone calls with his Iranian, Egyptian and European counterparts to discuss steps toward ending the conflict, according to sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The same day, Fidan also spoke with senior US officials, possibly including envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner.