Iran, Turkey presidents issue joint statement

The text of the joint statement released at the end of the trip by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Tehran is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

In response to the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, the Turkish President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, visited the Islamic Republic of Iran on 4 October 2017 in order to deepen and strengthen the friendly and fraternal relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the occasion of this visit, the fourth meeting of the Supreme Council for Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey was held under the joint chairmanship of Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey, with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, Head of the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the General Staff of the Army, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Economy, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister of Customs and Commerce, Minister of Interior, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Minister of National Defence and Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey.

The two presidents emphasised political will to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two nations, building on the bonds of brotherhood and friendship between the two nations. Presidents exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues, as well as issues related to the World of Islam.

The two sides:

Expressed their satisfaction with the work of the High Strategic Council for Cooperation in the development of cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, commercial and cultural fields;

Announced their firm determination to take advantage of the opportunities and potentials available for developing and deepening bilateral cooperation and relations;

Emphasised the development of inter-parliamentary relations as an important part of bilateral cooperation and the importance of bilateral meetings between representatives of the two countries parliaments;

Reaffirming the goal of the $30-billion trade target, they urged governmental agencies to regularly and efficiently exploit existing cooperation mechanisms and private sector representatives to evaluate the opportunities offered by their countries in order to achieve this goal, emphasising the role of the banks of the two countries in facilitating the cooperation;

Emphasised the importance of close cooperation and coordination in order to eliminate the logistical and administrative barriers to business relations between the two countries;

Emphasised the strategic position and central role of the two countries in freight and passenger transit as the gateways to Europe and Asia;

Emphasised the continuation and development of energy cooperation between the two countries, and calling for the implementation of joint projects and the presentation of new initiatives for the promotion of this cooperation;

Emphasised the special importance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a model for the success of multilateral diplomacy to resolve international issues.

Deemed full implementation of the commitments by all parties to the JCPOA necessary to successfully implement the provisions of the JCPOA based on UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Emphasised the fact that it would be in the interest of both countries to maximize the use of the existing cooperation mechanism against the illegal activities of PKK and PJAK elements along the shared borders and to take joint steps for a fruitful fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Rejected the illegal and illegitimate referendum held by the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by renewing respect for the constitution, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, annulling the result of this move and supporting the steps taken by the Iraqi government to maintain territorial integrity and political integrity of the country;

Emphasised the necessity of authorities in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to avoid actions that would damage the constitutional system as well as the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and assessed measures that will be taken by Iraq during the post-referendum consultation and coordination process;

Emphasised that Syrian disagreements are merely possible through political solution, reaffirming commitment to the territorial integrity, political unity, and national sovereignty of Syria.

Expressed their expectations for progress in the political process as a result of the achievements of the Astana Summit, which are being carried out by the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation as guarantor states;

Emphasised the need for continued cooperation in the framework of the Astana talks aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people, referring to the need to combat terrorism and extremism in Syria;

Strongly condemned crimes and any violent and extremist measures against Rohingya Muslims and human tragedies in Myanmar and called on the government of Myanmar to put an end to this plight that has made many Muslims in that country displaced, heed the recommendations of international organizations and the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to respect the rights of Rohingya Muslims and allow them to inspect the situation;

Expressed expectation of the Government of Myanmar for constructive cooperation with countries providing humanitarian aid to help the needy and the people who are suffering;

Invited the international community to increase its support for the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of an independent government and Palestinian sovereignty with the Holy Quds as its capital by condemning any restrictive measures on the access of the Palestinian Muslims to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, expressed their full solidarity with the Palestinian people and the need to preserve the holiness and historical position of Jerusalem and the Holy Quds;

Emphasised the cooperation of the two countries in establishing a region free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East in the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty;

Expressed their readiness to help bring peace and stability and consolidate security in Afghanistan, referring to the security situation in Afghanistan, while supporting the national unity government in the country;

Emphasised the importance of the continuation of bilateral and multilateral consultations to help peacefully resolve security problems and ensure peace and stability in the region, expressing concern at the deteriorating security situation in the region;

Emphasised the need for the optimal use of existing mechanisms for consultation on bilateral cooperation;

Emphasised continued contacts at the level of political authorities on bilateral and regional issues and the importance of increasing visits between high ranking officials of the two countries.

In light of the above-mentioned, on the occasion of the fourth meeting of the Supreme Council for Cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey, it was scheduled that the fifth Summit of the Supreme Council will be held next year in Ankara. In addition, the following documents were signed in the presence of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr Hassan Rouhani and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Ministry of Customs and Trade of the Republic of Turkey;

- Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey;

- Memorandum of Understanding between the National Library of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Turkish Prime Ministerial Archives;

- Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

MS/PR