Turkey Proposes Short Ceasefire for Negotiations to End Timteng Conflict

JAKARTA - Turkey has proposed a short-term ceasefire to ease tensions in the Middle East so that the negotiation process can begin, reports Middle East Eye, Monday (23/3).

Citing Turkish diplomatic sources reported by Antara, the country is trying to defuse the conflict by communicating well with the United States and Iran as well as exploring negotiations to reach an agreement, said the British-based media report.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry is building a negotiating group with partners in Europe, the Middle East and other regions to counter Israel's influence and help end the conflict, a source told the media website.

At the same time, the source also highlighted Ankara's doubts about the sustainability of a long-term ceasefire agreement and Israel's commitment not to launch any more attacks on Iran.

It was also conveyed that US President Donald Trump demanded that Iran completely stop their uranium enrichment program to be a major stumbling block in the negotiation efforts.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, including Tehran, causing infrastructure damage and casualties.

Iran then carried out retaliatory attacks against Israeli territory and American military bases throughout the Middle East.

The Americans and Israelis initially claimed that the attack was necessary to counter the threat from Iran's nuclear program, but it was later clear that they actually wanted a change of power in Iran.