ANKARA, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Turkey is evaluating all aspects of potential measures that may be taken in the event of a conflict between its neighbour Iran and the United States, a Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday.
Iran and the United States resumed negotiations earlier this month as Washington builds up military capability in the Middle East. Iran has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the region if it is attacked, but Tehran’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that a deal with the U.S. was “within reach” if diplomacy is prioritised.
NATO member Turkey, which shares a border with Iran to its east, has said it opposes any military intervention on Iran and does not want destabilisation in the region. Ankara has been in contact with both sides to de-escalate tensions and called for a resolution of issues through diplomacy.
“Naturally, all aspects of the measures that could be taken in the event of a negative development are being evaluated,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“All scenarios are being considered; and steps that can be taken to ensure the safety of our citizens are being worked on,” the person said, but added any steps that would “violate Iran’s sovereignty” were “out of the question”.
The source did not provide details on what measures Turkey was evaluating.
Earlier, the Turkish presidency’s office for countering disinformation denied media reports that Turkey was planning to enter Iranian territory to stop a potential influx of refugees.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler)
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