Turkey vows to cooperate with Iran in war on terrorism

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran and Ankara share common views over regional issues after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to have tight cooperation with Iran in combating terrorist groups. The two top officials made the remarks at a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, where they reiterated accelerated efforts to reinvigorate cooperation on bilateral, regional and international scenes. Erdogan said Turkey shares Iran's sensitivity to the necessity of campaign against terrorism, and stated, "The terrorist groups that are operating under the cover of Islam are no way related to Islam. Where has it been mentioned in Islam that innocent people should be killed in the most savage way." "We will widen our cooperation shoulder-to-shoulder with Iran in combating terrorist groups," underlined the Turkish prime minister. The Turkish prime minister noted the strengthened, age-old, brotherly relations and bonds between the two nations, and urged all-out expansion of Tehran-Ankara relations in all the political, economic and cultural fields. In response, the Iranian president told the visiting Turkish premier that "we share common views about crucial regional issues, including campaign against terrorism and extremism". He further pointed to the two countries' shared views about the need for immediate assistance and aid to the Syrian people as among those areas the two Muslim neighboring states can have tighter cooperation. Rouhani underlined that only the Syrian people are entitled to the right to decide the fate and future of their country, and added, "Iran-Turkey cooperation on other regional issues, specially those related to neighbors' security which are among the two countries' common concerns, should develop as well." Iran and Turkey are both trying to return to the golden age of their relations after a period of recession in ties due to their differences on certain regional issues, specially over Syria. The two top officials signed a document on setting up Iran-Turkey Supreme Political Cooperation Council at the end of their meeting. The council which will have annual meetings will be comprised of the two countries' not just political, but economic and cultural ministers to pave the way for accelerated, all-out development of ties and cooperation between the two states. Later in the afternoon, Erdogan went to meet Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, where the Iranian leader said the two countries' extensive capacities and potentials provide a proper ground for increasing development and deepening of bilateral relations. The Leader described the two countries' present "brotherly ties, affection and friendship" as unique in recent centuries, and stressed, "The two sides' extensive capacities are proper grounds for growing expansion and deepening of the relations." He further reiterated the necessity of both Tehran and Ankara's seriousness in implementing the agreements struck during Erdogan's visit to Tehran, adding that it would further strengthen and accelerate progress in ties. The Iranian Supreme Leader noted the heartfelt bonds between the two nations, and asked for an appropriate utilization of the existing chances and opportunities. The Turkish premier, for his part, conveyed the warmest greetings of his president and nation to the Leader, and said, "We view Iran as our second home." Erdogan further viewed his today meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other officials as "much useful", and expressed the hope that increasing development and progress in ties would turn Iran-Turkey relations as a role model for the region and the world. He also viewed endorsement of the document of Iran-Turkey Supreme Cooperation Council as "crucially important", and vowed to develop the relations through continued and reciprocal meetings to such an extent "as if the two countries' ministers worked and cooperated in a single cabinet". Erdogan and his accompanying delegation arrived in Tehran on Tuesday night for a two-day visit. Earlier on Wednesday, the two sides signed four cooperation pacts in trade and cultural fields. Speaking to reporters after the endorsement of the agreements on Wednesday, Erdogan underlined his country’s enthusiasm for starting a new chapter in the relations with Tehran, and said Turkey is in dire need of Iran’s energy resources. “We import oil and natural gas from Iran and those are strategic products that Turkey imports from Iran and we can receive them more (than before),” Erdogan told reporters. “Given the fact that Turkey’s industries are making progress on a daily basis and rapidly, we direly need energy products, specially Iran’s natural gas, and we should take joint win-win steps,” he added. Erdogan also called for the further expansion of bilateral economic ties with Tehran, and said there is a political resolve in Iran and Turkey to increase the level of their trade exchanges to $30bln in 2015.