Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday issued a strong warning against attempts to establish a “new Sykes-Picot order” in the Middle East, vowing to resist any violent redrawing of regional borders.
Addressing an Islamic countries’ summit in Istanbul, Erdogan declared, “We will not allow the creation of a new Sykes-Picot order in our region with borders drawn in blood.”
The reference was to the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France that secretly partitioned the Ottoman Empire’s Arab territories into spheres of Western influence after World War I.
The Turkish leader expressed solidarity with Iran amid rising regional tensions, stating, “We have no doubt the Iranian people, with their unity during challenges and strong state experience, will overcome these difficult times.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli military released images purportedly showing strikes on Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility.
Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed, “This shows the Isfahan nuclear facility used for uranium conversion – the stage after enrichment for nuclear weapons production.”
“The air force targeted the main facility along with centrifuge production buildings. We will continue striking Iran’s nuclear program,” Adraee added.
The developments come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with regional powers positioning themselves amid the ongoing crisis.