Why has Turkey stopped short of condemning the US strikes on Iran?

Turkey has stopped short of condemning the US strikes on Iran, despite many of the Islamic Republic's major allies, as well as several regional states, criticising the escalation and viewing it as a risky gambit.

US President Donald Trump said in a televised address late on Saturday that Washington had struck three of Iran's nuclear sites in an effort to disable the Islamic Republic's nuclear enrichment capabilities.

"I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said, adding that Tehran needed to "make peace" as he threatened more intense attacks if it did not.

"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," he added.

Several hours after the attacks took place, Turkey's foreign ministry warned that the strikes risked further destabilising the region's security environment.

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