Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon and called the U.S.-Iran ceasefire "incomplete" without a halt to operations against Hezbollah, positioning Ankara as the loudest NATO voice demanding Lebanon's inclusion in the peace framework. [1]

Erdogan accused Israel of "undermining all efforts to halt the war in the Middle East" during a speech this week, warning that "the fire could spread" if Lebanon is left outside the deal. [2] Turkey's Directorate of Communications said Erdogan urged that the two-week ceasefire window be "utilized effectively" for comprehensive negotiations. [3]

The condemnation is consistent with Erdogan's posture throughout the conflict. He slammed Israel for striking "schools and hospitals in Iran and Lebanon as it did in Gaza" during Ramadan. [4] Ankara has stepped up diplomatic contacts across the region but lacks the leverage Pakistan has secured as host of Friday's Islamabad talks.

Turkey's position highlights a structural problem with the ceasefire: every regional power reads it according to its own interests. Iran claims Lebanon is covered. Israel says it is not. Turkey says it must be. Pakistan is hosting talks that may or may not address it. The document is less a ceasefire than a Rorschach test — and Erdogan is telling the world what he sees.

-- HENDRIK VAN DER BERG, Brussels.