Analysis: Turkey emerges unscathed from the Iran war Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Wed, 06/17/2026 - 15:30 Despite missile threats and rising energy costs, Ankara emerged with stronger Nato ties, new Gulf defence deals and a role in US-Iran diplomacy "Turks are now experts on turning regional crisis into opportunities for themselves," a European diplomat said (AFP) Off When US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran in late February, Turkish officials found themselves sidelined. Their repeated attempts to prevent the war proved unsuccessful, and the mood in Ankara was that Trump preferred the counsel of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over that of Turkish leaders. Three months later, however, Trump once again counted Turkey, alongside Pakistan and Qatar , among the countries that had significantly helped secure a memorandum of understanding with Iran.