Turkey keen to consolidate ties with Iran

Turkish Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz voiced his country's enthusiasm for the expansion of all-out ties with Iran, and stressed that Tehran-Ankara close ties would bring about positive results for the region's peace and stability. Addressing a ceremony to commemorate the 35th victory anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution in Ankara on Tuesday, Yilmaz said amicable relations between the two nations can have great impact on the region. He further said the two friendly nations have witnessed growing cooperation in the past decade. The Turkish minister expressed hope the two countries would witness further progress in their economic exchanges during the current year. Earlier this month, Iran's Consul General in Istanbul Mohsen Mortezaeifar and new bureau chief of the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Istanbul Ipekogur Kenan underlined the constructive outcomes of the Turkish prime minister's visit to Tehran, and voiced readiness to pave the ground for the implementation of the agreements signed during the trip. In a meeting in Istanbul, Mortezaeifar and Kenan discussed various grounds for expansion of all-out relations between Iran and Turkey. The Iranian official said that bolstering ties will lead to expansion of cooperation in various fields. He further added that the two sides' officials are determined to increase current level of bilateral trade exchange. Ipekogur Kenan, for his part, described the recent visit of Turkish premier to Tehran as positive and expressed the hope to host high ranking Iranian politicians in Istanbul in near future. Turkey supports Iran’s stances at international gatherings, he said, adding that his country is also willing to promote consular cooperation with Iran.