President Rouhani stressed that Turkey is a Muslim and friend neighbouring country of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has a very special position, and expressed satisfaction over very good and growing relations between the two countries.
Speaking on the phone with the his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani called for developing relations between Tehran and Ankara and emphasized that accelerating the implementation of agreements between the two countries can further boost ties.
Mr. Rouhani also stressed that consultation and cooperation between Iran and Turkey aimed at advancing peaceful goals in the region, and referred to the recent developments in Syria, adding, "The two countries should promote their cooperation and do not let tensions escalate in this country."
He also went on to appreciate Erdoğan for perfectly hosting the trilateral summit of Iran, Russia and Turkey, saying, "Combatting terrorism and ending the war in Syria, as well as establishing security in the region are among the common goals of the three countries and I believe that this cooperation on the Syrian issue and the continuation of the Astana process will provide better conditions for field developments in Syria and achieving peace, which must be guarded."
Pointing out that "some major Western powers think that they have to intervene in Syria in any way," the President described the recent US, UK and France missile strikes on Syria as an act of aggression, saying, "It is a very ugly shift in state of affairs of international relations that some powerful and bullying countries attack a country whenever they wish.”
Mr. Rouhani also referred to the double standard of those powerful countries in relation with the issue of chemical weapons, adding, "Saddam Hussein's repeated chemical attacks on Iran and the silence of these powers have proved to us well that these countries have no sensitivity towards chemical weapons."
The president called the Iranian government and nation the biggest victims of chemical weapons, and emphasized, "This has made the Iranian government and people very sensitive to the use of these weapons in the world and to strongly condemn the use of these weapons by any country."
"Everyone should be sensitive to issues that are some kind of unlawful interference in the region," he said, adding, "When nothing has yet been verified and the inspectors of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have not announced the results of their investigations, no country or countries must be allowed to take military action."
Referring to the interventions of the US and the Zionist Regime in the region, the president underscored, "If the attacking countries were really looking for the perpetrators of the chemical attack, why did they not allow the inspectors of OPCW to investigate the situation?"
The Iranian president said, “All these developments reflect the importance of Iran, Turkey and Russia cooperation. In the current situation, de-escalation of tensions in Syria, and Western countries' not interfering can be considered as two key points for us. The three countries have begun a very hard and important job and it is imperative to work together to achieve the ultimate goal, which is restoring peace to Syria and the region.”
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said in the telephone call that Turkey welcomed development and deepening of Tehran-Ankara relations in all fields.
He expressed hope that the visit of his country's Minister of Economy to Tehran and the finalization of a series of agreements would accelerate the process of increasing the volume of trade between the two countries.
Erdoğan also continued to refer to the situation in Syria and emphasized that cooperation with Iran and Russia to reduce tensions in the field and advance the political process in Syria as a priority, saying, "Protecting territorial integrity of Syria and the search for political solutions to end the current situation is possible through joint efforts, and recent developments have shown that it is important to accelerate the joint efforts of Iran, Russia and Turkey."
He also denounced any use of chemical weapons, saying: "OPCW inspectors should begin their work as soon as possible and all parties should help them find the truth.”
"As we stressed at the tripartite summit in Ankara, we will not let some known circles divide Syria and interfere in its affairs," he added.
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