Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has issued a stark warning: if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, neighboring countries, including Turkey, could be drawn into a nuclear arms race.
In a recent interview with CNN Türk, Fidan addressed the potential consequences of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. He stated that such a development would likely provoke countries with existing tensions with Iran to pursue their own nuclear weapons programs.
Fidan emphasized that this scenario would be detrimental to regional stability, adding, “Ultimately, we might find ourselves compelled to join this competition.”
When questioned about Turkey’s potential need for nuclear weapons, Fidan carefully sidestepped a direct answer. He characterized it as a high-level strategic issue requiring broader consideration. The minister stressed Turkey’s desire to avoid sudden shifts in regional power dynamics, warning that any destabilization could severely undermine regional cooperation efforts.
Fidan also highlighted concerns about the potential weakening of the U.S. security umbrella for its allies. He predicted this could lead to an increase in nuclear proliferation, not just in the Middle East, but also in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
While acknowledging Turkey’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since 1970, Fidan criticized the current global nuclear order. He argued that the structure allowing only the five permanent UN Security Council members to possess nuclear weapons is inherently unfair. The minister contended that neither non-nuclear states nor nuclear powers are fulfilling their NPT obligations regarding peaceful nuclear technology transfers and disarmament efforts, respectively.
Addressing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations, Fidan noted the lack of concrete evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. He questioned the necessity of high-level uranium enrichment and severe sanctions if Iran truly has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.
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