Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged continued support for Syria, Gaza and Lebanon to help establish stability in the Middle East. In an interview with Al Jazeera published on August 17, 2026, he said Turkey would maintain its support for Palestine and that he plans to visit Syria. The interview marked the 25th anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party.

On Syria, Erdogan said Turkey has been providing all forms of assistance to establish peace and stability following the fall of the Assad government. Turkish ambassador Nuh Yilmaz said he hopes Erdogan may visit Damascus before the end of this year. Discussing Gaza, Erdogan accused Israel of failing to comply with ceasefire terms and said Hamas had fulfilled its commitments sincerely.

Erdogan also expressed deep concern over Israel's continuing attacks in Lebanon, saying he had discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump. He referred to the recently signed Mecca joint defence agreement involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, saying Egypt could join in the future. The three countries plan to expand political and military cooperation under the agreement.