Iran Hails Russia, Turkey Steps toward Normalization of Ties

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Thursday described as positive the recent moves by Turkey and Russia aimed at rekindling ties.

He said the Islamic Republic of Iran fully supports the moves.

Iran hopes that revival of ties between the two neighboring countries will be in the interest of the Russian and Turkish nations as well as the region, Qassemi added.

He further expressed the hope that Ankara’s decision will help consolidate mutual cooperation between the two nations, contribute to peace and stability in the region, and help to strengthen the ongoing anti-terror campaign.
The Kremlin said on Monday that the Turkish president has apologized to Russian President VladimirPutin over Ankara’s shooting down of the Russian jet.

Turkey, meanwhile, said it had only expressed regret to Russia, denying reports of an apology, and retracting a compensation pledge.
On Wednesday, Putin ordered his government to start the process of normalizing trade ties with Turkey.

“I ask that the Russian government begins the process of normalizing general trade and economic ties with Turkey,” Putin said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, following a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The phone call between the two leaders came after Putin expressed sympathy for the victims of the Tuesday night gun and bomb attacks at Istanbul’s Ataturk international airport, which claimed the lives of 41 people and injured 239 others.

Erdogan had also earlier sent a letter to Putin, congratulating him on Russia's National Day.
Moscow-Ankara ties plunged to an unprecedentedly low level after a Turkish F-16 fighter destroyed a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 bomber targeting Daesh (also known as ISIL and ISIS) positions in northern Syria in November, 2015.

One of the Russian pilots was killed on the ground by a militant group, while the other pilot was evacuated.