Tehran, Iran, Aug. 12
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
The meeting took place as the top event of Zarif’s one-day trip to Turkey, Tasnim reported Aug. 12.
In a joint press conference between Zarif and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier in the day, it was stressed that despite differences, Turkey and Iran “would strengthen cooperation for a lasting peace in Syria.”
“Iran always had good relations with both Turkey and Russia. All of the countries in the region must cooperate to bring peace in Syria and fight against extremism,” Zarif said during the event.
Upon arriving in Ankara, Zarif said, “Iran, Russia and Turkey are important players of the region.”
“The era of despotism and coups is over and has no place in our region,” he said in reference to the recent failed coup in Turkey, adding, “The Turkish people’s move in eliminating the grounds for the failed coup was a highly significant act. The public presence in the scene carried good omens and an important lesson to those who attempted the coup.”
In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shortly after the failed coup of mid-July in Turkey, Erdogan expressed his willingness to cooperate closely with Iran and Russia “to settle regional crises and restore peace and stability to the region.”
The two leaders there touched on the situation in the Middle East as a whole, and expressed consensus that there are global forces who are not satisfied with the idea of tranquility in the region.
For his part, President Rouhani noted he has no doubt that together with the terrorists, there are also “some superpowers” trying to destabilize things.