Israel’s possession of nukes could heighten nuclear arms race in region: Turkish FM

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Israel’s continued possession of nuclear weapons could heighten the nuclear arms race in the region, leading to an unfavourable situation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned.

“The ongoing possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, coupled with the failure to denuclearise the region, will escalate the nuclear arms race, leading to increased nuclearisation in the area,” Fidan told Qatar-broadcaster Al Jazeera on Saturday.

“This is not a favourable situation for both the region and the world.”

“Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons has been a known yet unacknowledged secret for many years — a fact that everyone is aware of but no one has admitted. We see that Israel has developed its nuclear capability by not becoming a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and we also know that it has received significant support from both the US and Europe in this regard.

So, this is not a secret,” he said.

The minister emphasised the need for complete denuclearisation of the region or other countries will take steps to enhance their security, stressing the urgency to find a solution to the critical strategic issue.