TEHRAN – Spokesperson for the Iranian administration highlighted the significance that Tehran attaches to the sovereignty of its neighbors, saying it is critical for Iraq to protect its territorial integrity amid the Kurdistan region’s controversial move to hold an independence referendum. Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said […]
TEHRAN – Spokesperson for the Iranian administration highlighted the significance that Tehran attaches to the sovereignty of its neighbors, saying it is critical for Iraq to protect its territorial integrity amid the Kurdistan region’s controversial move to hold an independence referendum.
Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said Iran believes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq must be preserved, in the same way that it supported Turkey’s territorial integrity during a failed coup attempt in July 2016.
He also hailed the close coordination between Tehran and Ankara in supporting the Baghdad government, expressing the hope that Iraq would soon get rid of terrorism.
As regards a forthcoming visit to Iran by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Nobakht said the trip is aimed at broadening the relations and implementing the agreements the two countries have already signed.
According to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Erdogan will discuss with Tehran their response to the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum in the upcoming visit.
While Iraq’s Kurds held a vote for independence on September 25, neighbors and countries in the Middle East, including Iran and Turkey, have voiced opposition to the referendum.
