Turkey’s Erdogan says Israel must not scupper US-Iran deal

ANKARA — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Middle East peace efforts cannot succeed without the backing of regional countries and that Israel must not be allowed to undermine a U.S.-Iran peace deal.

Speaking in Istanbul alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Erdogan said there could be no lasting solution that does not draw strength from the will and contributions of regional countries.

He said Turkey was closely monitoring attempts by Israel to derail the U.S.-Iran agreement, calling the Israeli government “war-addicted” and warning it should not plunge the region back into “gunpowder and blood.”

Erdogan also said Turkey aimed to deepen cooperation with Pakistan in areas including energy, transport, critical minerals, information technology and defense, while pursuing a bilateral trade target of $5 billion.