The remarks were made by Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a conference in Turkmenistan's capital of Ashgabat on Saturday.
Jahangiri went on to add that the current tension between the two countries which was caused by the downing of the Russian fighter jet by Turkey was by no means beneficial to the region, and that Iran was ready to help settle the dispute.
“Despite the difference in opinions over the Syrian issue, Iran and Turkey should cooperate in fighting terrorism and extremism,” Jahangiri added.
He further stressed that cooperation, respect for countries’ national sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as efforts to settle differences could lead to the establishment of sustainable peace and stability in the region.
Erdogan, for his part, maintained that Ankara does not welcome the escalation of tension in the region and calls for dialog to clear up misunderstandings.
Noting that Iran-Turkey relations should be bereft of foreign influences, Erdogan said “certain efforts are being made to cause religious discord between us, but we must resolve these issues as soon as possible and prove our friendly ties.”
The Turkish president also leveled criticism at certain reports issues by Iranian media against members of his family, saying the Iranian government should rein in its media outlets.
Jahangiri responded to Erdogan’s criticism by saying that media is not controlled by Iranian administration and that they even write against the administration as well.
Jahangiri went on to add that none of the negative reports on Turkey have been issued by Iranian officials while officials in Turkey have been expressing false and negative commentaries against the Islamic Republic, its government and people’s sanctities.
Es’hagh Jahangiri was in Ashgabat on Saturday to attend a conference on the topic ‘The policy of neutrality: international cooperation for peace, security and development’ which marked the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan's Declaration of Neutrality status.
During his one-day trip, the Iranian official delievered a speech at the conference and also held talks with presidents of Croatia and Georgia.
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