Erdogan Warns Region Still Plagued by War and Persecution, Innocent Children Suffer Most

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on April 23, 2026, that wars and persecution continue to grip the Middle East despite ongoing global efforts to restore peace, emphasizing that innocent children bear the heaviest cost of the conflict.

Speaking during a public address, Erdoğan stated that while diplomatic initiatives remain active, violence persists across the region, with civilians—particularly women, children, and the elderly—suffering the consequences of wars they did not provoke.

He underscored that the humanitarian toll is severe, noting that strikes on essential infrastructure such as oil refineries, water facilities, energy plants, and transport networks have worsened living conditions for millions, deepening the crisis beyond the battlefield.

Erdoğan linked the regional instability to broader global repercussions, warning that continued conflict would exacerbate economic pressures, including rising oil prices, and increase both human losses and worldwide economic damage.

Reaffirming Türkiye’s position, he stated that the country remains actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and open pathways for dialogue, insisting that peace must be pursued before the conflict spreads further and inflicts irreversible harm on regional and global security.

He cautioned that without timely intervention, the unfolding crisis would bring about serious geopolitical and economic uncertainties that no nation can afford to bear, urging the international community to act decisively to extinguish the flames before they engulf the entire region.