UN Chief Warns Middle East Nearing ‘Point of Collapse,’ Urges Immediate Ceasefire
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Middle East is nearing a “point of collapse,” urging an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to negotiations.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, warned that the situation in the Middle East is moving toward a “point of collapse,” urging all parties to immediately halt hostilities and return to negotiations.
In a statement delivered Friday, Guterres stressed the seriousness of the current developments in the region.
He called on all sides to stop military actions, respect international law, protect civilians, and immediately return to the negotiating table.
The UN chief made the remarks during a speech while receiving the Atatürk International Peace Prize in Ankara, the capital of Turkey.
Guterres emphasized that de-escalation and dialogue remain the only path forward.
“We hear a lot of talk about peace around the world, but we see very little of it,” he said during the ceremony.
Earlier in the day, Guterres held separate meetings with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, president of Turkey, and the country’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan.
The discussions focused on developments in the Middle East and broader cooperation between the United Nations and Turkey.
According to the statement, the talks also addressed issues related to refugees and humanitarian cooperation.
The warning from the UN chief comes amid rapidly escalating tensions across the Middle East, with international calls growing for diplomacy to prevent further regional destabilization.