Turkish, Spanish foreign ministers hold phone call

Tugba Altun, Esra Tekin, and Beyza Binnur Donmez

ISTANBUL/GENEVA (AA) - Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday held a phone call, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

In a post through US social media company X, Albares said that during the call, he reiterated Madrid's urgent call for a "de-escalation in the Middle East" and a "return to diplomatic negotiations."

The minister emphasized that Spain demanded that all involved parties strictly "respect international law."

He said he also "firmly condemned" an Iranian missile munition directed toward Turkish airspace, offering Spain's full solidarity to the Turkish government and its people.

Most recently, Fidan also discussed the regional developments and the neutralized missile that had been directed toward Turkish airspace in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Earlier in the day, the Turkish foreign minister held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Canada, as well as from Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, amid the escalating tension in the region due to the ongoing US-Israel attacks on Iran.

Israel and the US have continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing nearly 900 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.