KABUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a “priority” for Ankara.
In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, aired Saturday, August 15, Erdoğan said the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz would benefit no country.
His remarks come amid growing tensions between Iranian and U.S. officials over the status of the strategic waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory following what he described as Iran’s defeat.
In response, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz “has been, is and will remain Iranian,” adding that it would be opened or closed only by Iran and could not become U.S. territory through social-media statements or the deployment of an aircraft carrier.