TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi has received a phone call from his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In their telephone conversation, the presidents of Iran and Turkey discussed bilateral and regional relations and stressed the need to strengthen the level of cooperation and coordination between Tehran and Ankara, according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.
In the phone call, Ayatollah Raisi referred to the capacity to develop Tehran-Ankara relations and cooperation at bilateral and regional levels, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long-term and comprehensive vision in relations and cooperation with Turkey and we welcome planning for strategic cooperation with Turkey.”
President Raisi stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries as the only way to lasting security and stability in different parts of the region.
President Erdogan, for his part, expressed interest to visit Tehran soon, stating that Turkey has prepared a list of various economic cooperation to strengthen relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Emphasizing the continuation of Turkey’s energy supply by Iran, the Turkish president said, “Turkey considers Iran a reliable supplier of energy and seeks to increase the level of its cooperation with Tehran.”
Referring to Ayatollah Raisi’s visit to Moscow and meeting with President Putin, Erdogan expressed hope that the results and useful achievements of this visit will soon be felt in various regions, and stressed his country’s cooperation with Iran for achieving regional security.
Raisi and Erdogan met in late November during the former’s visit to Turkmenistan. During that meeting, Raisi said, “Iran and Turkey can bring economic and political relations closer to the strategic level by improving the current level of trade and exchanges.”
Referring to the wide and diverse areas of cooperation between Iran and Turkey in various sectors, including energy, banking and monetary issues, and trade and commerce exchanges, Raisi said, “We should facilitate the development of economic relations and in this regard, preferential tariffs can be reviewed.”
Emphasizing the close cooperation and relations between Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkey, the president said, “The three countries have many cultural, religious and ideological commonalities, and these relations should not be allowed to be disrupted, but should be as close as possible to disappoint our common enemies.”
“Terrorist groups not only cause insecurity in Afghanistan but also threaten the security of the region, so we should not allow terrorist groups such as Daesh and the PKK to threaten the security of countries in the region,” he said.
The president added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran supports formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and we believe that all groups and ethnicities in Afghanistan should have a role and participation in the future of Afghanistan.”
Insisting on the need to stabilize and create security in Syria, Ayatollah Raisi said, “We should use our capacities to create peace and security in Syria.”
He added, “The problems of the region must be resolved by the countries of the region, and the presence and intervention of outsiders not only will not help solve the problems, but will complicate the situation.”
President Raisi also stressed the importance of stability, peace and respect for the territorial integrity of Iraq, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran supports and emphasizes the establishment of a strong government accepted by the Iraqi people.”
During the meeting, the Turkish leader also said that his country considers it necessary to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation with Iran.
“We can make a leap in the relations between the two countries, especially in the economic sectors,” he said.
Erdogan also said, “The White House is training and arming all terrorist groups in the region, including Daesh and the PKK, and providing them with terrorist equipment and tools to create insecurity.”
He added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and Turkey can maintain security and stability in the region with the cooperation of other countries in the region.”
In mid-November of last year, Raisi met in Tehran with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Çavusoglu. During this meeting, Raisi said, “By finalizing the roadmap for development of cooperation, the draft of which is on the agenda of the two countries, Iran and Turkey are ready to upgrade relations from the current level to all-inclusive cooperation.”
