ANKARA, Turkey – In a high-stakes diplomatic exchange on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a stark warning to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier: the ongoing US-Israeli military confrontation against Iran is already beginning to erode Europe’s economic and political stability. A formal statement released by Erdogan’s office detailed the pointed remarks delivered during the bilateral meeting, where the Turkish leader emphasized the urgent need for a peace-first approach to de-escalate tensions spreading across the Middle East. Erdogan stressed that the conflict, which is centered in the immediate region surrounding Turkey, is not contained to the Middle East — its ripple effects are already weakening European foundations. If global and regional leaders continue to prioritize confrontation over negotiated solutions, the eventual harm inflicted by the standoff will reach far beyond the Middle East, leaving Europe with irreversible damage that will take decades to repair, Erdogan told his German counterpart. The remarks mark one of the clearest warnings yet from a major NATO leader about the cross-continental spillover risks of escalating tensions between Iran and the US-Israeli bloc, highlighting growing divisions within the alliance over how to approach the volatile situation in the Middle East.