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"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against what he described as Israeli attempts to 'sabotage' efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region, stressing the importance of continuing diplomacy and avoiding further military escalation. "We are putting forward proposals and initiatives to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue talks [...] We must not allow weapons to speak instead of words," he said during a meeting of the Justice and Development Party's parliamentary bloc in Ankara on Wednesday. Erdogan stressed that the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran allowed the region and the world to "breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in weeks." "However, the Israeli government's continuation of its attacks on Lebanon has dealt the first blow to the hopes for peace," he added. The Turkish president also criticised Israel's position, arguing it threatens the path toward de-escalation. "The Israeli government, which is clearly not satisfied with the ceasefire, must not be allowed to undermine the process," he said. On April 8, Washington and Tehran reached a conditional two-week ceasefire, followed by talks in Islamabad mediated by Pakistan, which ended without a final agreement. Despite the truce, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have continued, with Tel Aviv stating they target Hezbollah personnel and infrastructure. While Iran maintains that the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Israel rejects this interpretation, treating the Lebanese front as a separate arena."
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