Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday, hours after he arrived for talks on the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.
Fidan and Dar are expected to be joined by their Egyptian and Saudi counterparts in Islamabad for two days of talks to end the raging conflict.
Türkiye and Pakistan have been active in working to end the conflict, with both also mentioned as possible venues for direct talks between Iran and the U.S. toward a peaceful settlement.
Top diplomats from Riyadh, Cairo and Ankara are due in the Pakistani capital Sunday and Monday for “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
As part of preparations, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he had a “detailed telephone conversation with my brother President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran earlier today (Saturday), lasting over one hour.”
“I reiterated Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the continued Israeli attacks on Iran, including recent strikes on civilian infrastructure, and conveyed Pakistan’s solidarity with the brave people of Iran,” he wrote on X.
Sharif said he also expressed his condolences “on the tragic loss of precious lives and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and displaced.”
“I apprised him of Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic outreach, engaging the United States and brotherly Gulf and Islamic countries, to facilitate dialogue and de-escalation.”
Sharif’s office said separately that Pezeshkian “stressed upon the need to build trust in order to facilitate talks and mediation.”
The pair have spoken previously in recent weeks about the conflict and Pakistan’s commitment to bringing it to an end.
Islamabad has longstanding links with Tehran and close contacts in the Gulf, while Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have struck up a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Late on Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told the private A Haber broadcaster that the meeting was initially planned to be held in Türkiye.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier on Friday he expected a direct U.S.-Iran meeting in Pakistan “very soon,” without revealing his source.
While Tehran has refused to admit to holding official talks with Washington, Iran has passed a response to Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war via Islamabad, according to an anonymous source cited by the Iranian Tasnim news agency.
Fidan said on Saturday that the “unlawful strikes” against Iran are pushing the region toward the brink of a wider war, fueled by “relentless Israeli escalation.”
Speaking at the opening of the second day of the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM) 2026 in Istanbul, Fidan said: “We reject any scenario that drags regional states into a devastating conflict,” adding: “Iranian actions affecting Gulf nations carry precisely this risk. Let us be clear. This may be Israel’s war of choice, but the entire world is paying the price.”
Fidan stated that as the conflict prolongs, the geopolitical and economic complications multiply at an alarming rate. “From day one, Türkiye has grown against this dangerous trajectory.”
“This is a war engineered for Netanyahu’s political survival, yet its burden unfortunately falls upon the rest of the world,” the foreign minister said, warning that the crisis could leave enduring scars not only in cities but also in the hearts and minds of the peoples of the region.
“There is only one viable way out for us. That is the escalation and diplomacy,” Fidan emphasized.
Regarding Israel’s latest aggression in Lebanon, he said: “We (Türkiye) declared our strong opposition to Israel’s expansionist policies, particularly its latest aggression against Lebanon. To operationalize these efforts, we continue our constant high-level dialogue. Our objective is to chart out actionable steps to end this conflict as soon as possible.”
“This senseless war must end. Before further destruction unfolds, before deeper enmities take root, before the global economy suffers irreversible damage. The channels of dialogue must be open, and a result-oriented negotiation process must commence swiftly,” Fidan further added.
Fidan warned that while pursuing peace, Türkiye’s leadership must not let Netanyahu’s extreme stance derail diplomacy, highlighting that “this engineered chaos” aims to keep the regional nations “weak, divided, and vulnerable.”
