Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier that the ongoing wars in the region are beginning to weaken Europe and warned that failure to pursue peace-focused diplomacy could lead to far greater damage.

The two leaders spoke by phone on Wednesday to discuss Türkiye-Germany relations as well as major regional and global developments, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Erdogan said relations between Ankara and Berlin had gained strong momentum in recent months thanks to a series of high-level contacts between the two countries.

He stressed that preserving and strengthening this positive trajectory remains important as both nations face rising geopolitical and economic challenges.

Erdogan pushes diplomacy over escalation

During the call, Erdogan warned that the wars surrounding the region were no longer confined to their immediate geography and were beginning to directly affect Europe’s stability and strength.

He said that unless this course is addressed with a peace-centred approach, the long-term damage from continued conflict would become far more severe.

The Turkish president underlined that Ankara continues to support diplomacy as the primary path to resolving major international crises.

He said Türkiye is actively working to help end both tensions involving Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war through negotiations aimed at achieving lasting peace.

Erdogan noted that, just as Türkiye has sought dialogue on Iran, it is also pushing for renewed negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to bring the war to a peaceful conclusion.

Türkiye has repeatedly positioned itself as a mediator in regional conflicts, seeking to maintain diplomatic channels with all sides while calling for negotiated settlements instead of prolonged military escalation.

The conversation reflected Ankara’s broader effort to strengthen ties with key European partners while advancing its diplomatic role in some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.