Iranian, Turkish presidents pledge partnership despite Syria rift
![]( "Turkish President Abdullah Gul (R) and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani give a press conference at the presidential palace in Ankara, on June 9, 2014. (Photo: AFP - Adem Altan)")
Local Editor
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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined the necessity for the establishment of peace and stability in the regional states, especially in Syria, and said Tehran and Ankara resolved to fight extremism and terrorism.
"Iran and Turkey are resolved to fight violence, extremism and terrorism and they use all their possibilities and power to this end and they are determined to increase their cooperation and spare no efforts in this regard," Rouhani said in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara on Monday.
He further stressed that ending war, bloodshed and killings in the region and establishment of peace and security in the regional states, especially in Syria and Iraq, are among the crucial topics on which Iran and Turkey should strike an agreement and cooperate.
He also underlined the two countries' willingness to expand bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in different political, economic, cultural and tourism fields, and said Tehran and Ankara can double the volume of their trade exchanges.
The Iranian president started his official visit to Turkey on Monday to discuss the latest developments on the international and regional scenes and explore new avenues for reinvigoration of all-out ties.
Iran and Turkey increased their trade transactions in the first two months of 2014 as compared with the figures of the corresponding period in the last year.
The value of trade transactions between Tehran and Ankara hit $2.115bln in January and February, the trade data recently released by the Turkish government said.
The two countries have in recent years increased their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture.
Iranian and Turkish officials have repeatedly stressed the necessity for stronger relations and increasing their bilateral trade to $30bln by 2015.
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Iran and Turkey on Monday pledged to work together to stop extremism and bloodshed in the Middle East despite them backing opposing forces in Syria's war.
"Iran and Turkey, the two important countries in the region, are determined to fight against extremism and terrorism," Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told a news conference in Ankara.
He said the instability in the region benefited neither the neighboring countries, nor the world, and said Turkey and Iran agreed to work together.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul commended Rouhani's policies since taking office in August last year, saying they were helping Iran open up to the world.
The diplomatic niceties though papered over a complex and often dysfunctional relationship between the two countries.
Those ties have taken an especially bitter turn in recent years as a result of increasing competition between Sunni and Shia Muslim powers across the region.
This has become more pronounced following the onset of the Syrian war, in which the two nations have found themselves on opposite sides.
Iran is the chief backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey overtly supports the armed opposition fighting to over throw the government.
Rouhani has congratulated Assad on his re-election for a third seven-year term last week.
Turkey however blasted the elections as "null and void," saying that it was "out of the question to take them seriously."
Rouhani's trip to Turkey, flanked by a crowded delegation of ministers and Iranian businessmen, saw 10 bilateral deals signed in several sectors including finance, tourism, culture and communications.
Iran and Turkey will also chair the first meeting of a high-level cooperation council, a mechanism Ankara has established with its neighbors to promote trade and regional integration.
The Iranian leader asserted his visit "will undoubtedly be a turning point in the two countries' relationship."
It was the first trip to Turkey by an Iranian president since former leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a "working" visit to Istanbul in 2008. The last official presidential visit from Iran to Turkey was in 1996 by Hashemi Rafsanjani.
That visit was marked by controversy when Rafsanjani refused to visit the mausoleum of modern Turkey's revered founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- a routine practice for foreign heads of state.
Rouhani also is expected to skip the mausoleum.
(AFP)
Sheikh Rouhani: Iran, Turkey Determined to Preserve Stability in RegionLocal Editor
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined the necessity for the establishment of peace and stability in the regional states, especially in Syria, and said Tehran and Ankara resolved to fight extremism and terrorism."Iran and Turkey are resolved to fight violence, extremism and terrorism and they use all their possibilities and power to this end and they are determined to increase their cooperation and spare no efforts in this regard," Rouhani said in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Ankara on Monday.
He further stressed that ending war, bloodshed and killings in the region and establishment of peace and security in the regional states, especially in Syria and Iraq, are among the crucial topics on which Iran and Turkey should strike an agreement and cooperate.
He also underlined the two countries' willingness to expand bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in different political, economic, cultural and tourism fields, and said Tehran and Ankara can double the volume of their trade exchanges.
The Iranian president started his official visit to Turkey on Monday to discuss the latest developments on the international and regional scenes and explore new avenues for reinvigoration of all-out ties.
Iran and Turkey increased their trade transactions in the first two months of 2014 as compared with the figures of the corresponding period in the last year.
The value of trade transactions between Tehran and Ankara hit $2.115bln in January and February, the trade data recently released by the Turkish government said.
The two countries have in recent years increased their cooperation in all the various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture.
Iranian and Turkish officials have repeatedly stressed the necessity for stronger relations and increasing their bilateral trade to $30bln by 2015.
Source: IRNA | 09-06-2014 - 21:07 Last updated 09-06-2014 - 21:07 |
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