Iran Not to Leave Turkey Alone: VP
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri stressed that Tehran will not leave Ankara alone in the face of regional threats, even though the two countries might stand on separate sides on certain issues.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey might disagree on certain regional issues, but such disagreement will never make Iran leave Turkey alone in the face of regional threats and destabilizing factors,” Jahangiri said at a meeting with Turkish Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci in Tehran on Saturday.
He also underscored that Iran and Turkey can thwart plots hatched by foreign powers against the region if they reach a mutual understanding of the threats.
Jahangiri further highlighted the distinction that Iran draws between Saudi Arabia’s stances and those of Turkey’s toward the region, Shiite Muslims, or Iraq’s developments.
He, however, deplored a communiqué released after an October meeting of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) and Turkey which relays “anti-Iran” messages.
For his part, Zeybekci underlined that Turkey is not a member of the PGCC, and that the Turkish foreign minister had not made any comments against Iran’s interests in the October PGCC-Turkey ministerial meeting in Riyadh.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry last month dismissed the communiqué, saying it was issued by the states whose interference in the other countries has fueled insecurity and terrorism in the region.
Iran slammed comments about its territorial integrity and its sovereignty over the three islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf, saying the communiqué was a brazen interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic.
