Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Presses for Unrestricted Gulf Access to Open Seas, Cites U.S. Blockade

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used his remarks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 to press for diplomacy tied to the Iran-U.S. ceasefire and to argue that Gulf states’ access to the open seas should not be restricted.

Erdoğan said, “the right of Gulf states to access open seas should not be restricted,” and he linked that position to “the naval blockade imposed by the United States on the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports,” as well as “Tehran's restrictions on navigation through the strait.”

Al-Jazeera Net

In the same address, he said the ceasefire opportunity between Washington and Tehran should be used “to establish lasting peace,” adding that he stressed “the importance of seizing the opportunity created by the ceasefire.”

Al Jazeera Net reported that Erdoğan said he was “signaled readiness to safeguard the negotiations” and urged international actors to adopt “a consensus-based approach.”

Hürriyet Daily News likewise framed Erdoğan’s message around the “fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States,” quoting him: “The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be seized.”

Trend News Agency reported Erdoğan’s insistence that “Under no circumstances should dialogue be replaced by weapons, nor negotiations by bloodshed,” and it described his call for sustained diplomatic engagement over escalation.

Across the coverage, Erdoğan’s Iran-related theme also included energy and logistics routes, with multiple outlets tying the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and freedom of navigation.

Erdoğan’s Iran-focused comments repeatedly returned to the Strait of Hormuz as a test case for freedom of navigation, with outlets quoting him on both the legal principle and the practical goal of keeping the waterway open.

Al Jazeera Net said Erdoğan called for “ensuring freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial ships,” while also noting the context of “Tehran's restrictions on navigation through the strait.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The Express Tribune similarly quoted Erdoğan saying, “The essential point is to ensure freedom of navigation based on established rules and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping,” and it described his argument that disputes should not be resolved through violence.

Yaffa News Network provided a more specific geographic formulation, reporting Erdoğan’s statement: “One side of the Strait of Hormuz is in Iran and the other is in Oman, and the right of Gulf countries to access open seas should not be restricted.”

Fakti.bg echoed the same core idea, quoting Erdoğan that “The basic principle is to ensure freedom of navigation based on established rules and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial ships,” while also repeating the Iran-and-Oman framing.

Hürriyet Daily News added a direct quotation of Erdoğan’s Hormuz language, saying, “If one side of Hormuz is Iran, the other is Oman. The Gulf states' right to access the open seas should not be restricted.”

Trend News Agency likewise described Erdoğan’s emphasis on “freedom of navigation and transit” and “maintaining open routes for commercial shipping in the region.”

Alongside his Iran-and-Hormuz arguments, Erdoğan’s remarks included warnings about sabotage and hostile actions that he said could jeopardize the Iran-U.S. agreement, and the reporting placed those warnings alongside direct comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

““We are all very clearly aware of the fact that today diplomacy is no longer just a field for negotiating problems, conflicts and interests”

Fakti.bg

Al Jazeera Net said Erdoğan warned his American counterpart Donald Trump of “potential provocations and sabotage that could jeopardize the agreement,” while adding that he did not specify which side.

The same report quoted Netanyahu’s prior comment on X, saying, “Israel under my leadership will continue to fight the Iranian regime and its agents, unlike Erdoğan who shelters them and has committed massacres against the Kurds.”

The Express Tribune and Al Jazeera Net both described Erdoğan’s insistence that parties remain “ready and vigilant” against “any attempts by Israel to undermine the negotiation process,” with Erdoğan urging a conciliatory approach.

Hürriyet Daily News also included Erdoğan’s warning language, quoting him: “We must not allow Israel to be dynamited,” and it tied that to “escalating tensions in the Middle East and ongoing conflict dynamics involving Israel and its neighbors.”

Fakti.bg and The Express Tribune both framed Erdoğan’s broader critique of the international system as silent or ineffective when rules are violated, with Fakti.bg quoting Erdoğan that “The system that claims to be based on rules is silent when the rules are violated.”

In the same set of remarks, Erdoğan argued that the ceasefire window should not collapse back into confrontation, and Hürriyet Daily News quoted him saying, “No matter how deep the disagreements may be, weapons must not be allowed to replace words again.”

Several outlets used Erdoğan’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum address to connect the Iran-U.S. ceasefire to a wider argument about the failure of global mechanisms, while also inserting large Gaza-related figures into the same speech narrative.

Al Jazeera Net reported Erdoğan’s comments on Gaza, saying he pointed to “the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza due to repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire,” and it quoted Erdoğan describing what happened in the Gaza Strip since 2023 as “genocide by the Israeli occupation army.”

Hürriyet Daily News

The Express Tribune similarly quoted Erdoğan saying, “Reading what is happening in Gaza merely as a humanitarian tragedy would be incomplete,” and it added that the situation reveals “the limits of the current international order.”

Fakti.bg went further by including detailed counts attributed to Erdoğan’s remarks, stating that “Since October 7, 73,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip,” that “The number of injured exceeds 172,000,” and that “the number of children killed exceeds 21,000.”

Fakti.bg also reported additional figures, saying “the number of orphans and abandoned children is over 58,000,” and it claimed that “Despite the ceasefire, 754 Palestinians have been killed and 2,100 have been injured.”

In the same Fakti.bg account, Erdoğan was quoted arguing that “Interpreting what is happening in Gaza solely as a humanitarian tragedy is insufficient,” and it quoted him saying, “The genocide in Gaza has clearly shown us what the current system allows.”

Hürriyet Daily News echoed the Gaza framing as part of Erdoğan’s critique, quoting him: “To view what is happening in Gaza solely as a humanitarian tragedy is insufficient. The genocide in Gaza clearly demonstrates what the current system allows.”

Erdoğan’s Iran-related message at the forum also included a broader presentation of Türkiye’s diplomatic role, including readiness to safeguard negotiations and to host other talks, while linking those efforts to the same ceasefire momentum.

“Erdogan says global order on 'dangerous threshold' Turkish president calls for diplomacy and stability Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said the world is facing a deepening crisis in both power and direction, warning that the international system has reached a "serious and dangerous threshold"”

The Express Tribune

Al Jazeera Net said Erdoğan announced “Turkey's readiness to help keep direct talks between Russia and Ukraine going,” including “hosting a summit between the leaders of the two countries,” if the parties were willing, and it placed that mediation alongside the Iran-U.S. ceasefire context.

The Express Tribune

Trend News Agency similarly described Erdoğan’s satisfaction with a “15-day ceasefire” initiative “announced through the mediation of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” and it said Erdoğan called the “window of opportunity” must be utilized “as effectively as possible to achieve lasting peace.”

The Express Tribune reported Erdoğan’s call for diplomacy and stability, quoting him that “No matter how deep the disagreements, we must not allow words to be replaced by weapons or negotiations by bloody conflict,” and it tied that to tensions involving “the US, Israel, and Iran.”

Hürriyet Daily News reported Erdoğan’s warning that “If the system is not reformed, bigger conflicts will come,” and it quoted him saying, “If the system is not reformed, bigger conflicts will come,” in the context of the global order failing to manage instability.

Fakti.bg also presented Erdoğan’s argument that the world is at a “serious and dangerous crossroads,” quoting him that “we are at a serious and dangerous crossroads,” and it described the forum’s emphasis on measuring diplomacy’s “pulse.”

While the sources do not describe a specific new Iran negotiation step beyond Erdoğan’s calls to seize the ceasefire window, they do document his stated readiness to safeguard negotiations and his insistence on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial shipping.